


Senior Year

by wapaksoccet13



Series: The Ups and Downs of Love [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-07-11 20:23:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 63,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7068742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wapaksoccet13/pseuds/wapaksoccet13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the last year of high school for Asami.  Everything around her has fallen into place.  Then it all starts to change after the arrival of a new student:  Korra Spark, the new Avatar.  All of Asami's plans start to crack underneath her; can she save herself or will she fall?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Arrival

_Let’s see.  This part should go here.  This one here.  Hmm, an extra part?  Where was this one supposed to go?  Oh right…it was supposed to go here.  Well, if we adjust this part and put it here, then…yes!_ I smiled and drew a line on my schematics to where the last, almost forgotten, part was supposed to attach to in my Satomobile designs.  And it was finally done!  I sat back in my chair and looked at the digital alarm clock that sat on my desk. 2:37 am.  _Well, then.  Looks like I wasn’t going to sleep_.  Again.  I looked at my schematics, not very much caring what time it was at night.  I had finished a three month project in designing my custom Satomobile at the age of 18.  Dad was 22 and just finishing up college before he even thought about the very first Satomobile.  I smiled to myself; Mom would be so proud of me.

_“Look at you, Asami.  Just like your father,” she said, watching me from the kitchen as I drew my first car drawing._

_Mom, I miss you._   I sighed, leaning back farther in my chair as I looked out the window of my room.  The room used to be my mom’s painting room; she’d used to tell my dad that the view of Republic City gave her all sorts of inspiration to paint.  He was very adamant against me making the room into my bedroom but relented when he realized that everyone has to move forward eventually.

I got up and rolled the schematics up before placing them into their protective tube.  I sat the tube on a stand that held other finished schematics, intending to start at least one of them before the school year started.  Since it was still too early to be up and too late to go to sleep, I grabbed my CabbagePod and laid down on my bed.  I flipped through my song library, looking for something that was upbeat.  Finally finding one, I selected it and set my CabbagePod down.  I put my hands behind my head and looked out my window towards Republic City.  Tomorrow was the first day of my senior year at Republic City High School.  I could only wonder what was in store for me.

* * *

I wanted to beat the early first week traffic to school, so I arrived at the school earlier than I usually did.  Thankfully, this meant that I’d meet up with Zhu Li and Opal.  Zhu Li was always at school thirty minutes early working with a guy named Varrick; he always had some weird and stupid invention to create, and she was always there to help him out of the trouble he’d get into with the school’s administration.  Opal came to school early with her foster sister, Kuvira, who was a member of the school’s Varsity bending team.  I had known both Zhu Li and Opal since their freshman year.

As if on script and schedule, I found Zhu Li first by the sounds of a screaming Varrick.  I sighed and rubbed my face, only imagining what stupid invention he had managed to screw up this time.  I got out of my hand-me-down car, an older Satomobile model that my dad had INSISTED I drive, and locked it before heading towards the back of the school building.  It wasn’t hard to find Varrick and Zhu Li thanks in large part to Varrick’s loud and high pitched screaming.

“Get it away from me!” he kept screaming.

The closer I was getting to him, the louder a barking noise I began to hear.  My pace began to increase at the unexpected barking.  _Why would someone bring a dog to school?_   I rounded the corner, finding Varrick standing on a table with Zhu Li in front of him, clearly annoyed that he was using her as a shield.  Below them was a dark-skinned girl holding back a white dog, who was barking nonstop at Varrick and Zhu Li.

“Sorry!  I don’t know what’s gotten into her!” the girl apologized as she tried to rein in her dog.

“I didn’t do anything wrong to it!  I just picked up this thing,” Varrick said, holding up what looked like a dog toy, “and it started its attack at me!”

I sighed and walked over to the table. “Varrick.  That’s a dog toy.  Just throw it away from you,” I told him, my hands going to my hips.

He looked at the toy before throwing it towards a tree farther away from the group.  The dog, its interest of the toy taking over, immediately ran out of its owner’s hands and towards the toy.  Varrick watched it, huffing, “Oh, well…I knew that.”  Both Zhu Li and I rolled our eyes at him.

The girl, whose dog was now excitedly chewing on its toy, looked at us and rubbed the back of her head, clearing embarrassed by the recent events. “Sorry.  I didn’t realize how far I had thrown the toy until I heard yelling.  She usually come’s right back after she’s grabbed it, so I didn’t realize anything was wrong right away,” she said.

Moving out of Varrick’s grip, Zhu Li maneuvered her way down off the bench. “It’s no problem really,” she replied, smoothing out her skirt.  _Always with the professional look, Zhu Li.  She really needs to lighten up in her style._

The girl smiled at Zhu Li before turning her attention back to the dog. “Well, I better go grab her then.  It was nice talking to you!” she said before running off towards the dog.

Zhu Li and I watched her run off.  Once she was out of ear shot, Zhu Li spoke up. “She’s new.  I know everyone in this school, and this is the first time I’ve seen her around,” she said.

I watched as the girl led the dog towards the front of the school. “Well, she seems nice.  Just…don’t introduce her to Bolin.  You know how he is with new girls, and Opal’s trying her hardest to get him to notice her,” I commented.

Zhu Li nodded before turning her attention back to Varrick.  He had moved off the table and was heading back towards the school.  She sighed. “I better go after him before something else happens,” she said before looking at me. “Same spot at lunch?”

I nodded with a smile. “I’ll let Opal and Kuvira know.”

Zhu Li nodded before running off to catch up to Varrick.  Once she had gone inside, I decided to head towards the bending arena, where I was sure I’d find Opal watching her sister practice with the bending team.

Sure enough, that’s where I found her, sitting in the middle of the stands with a book open on her lap.  As I climbed the stairs, I noticed that she wasn’t reading but watching the bending team practice.  I took a seat beside her, her attention more focused on the bending team than who joined her.  I turned my attention to them, watching as Kuvira and the varsity squad knock the junior varsity squad out for a knockout.  Kuvira removed her helmet while her varsity teammates high-fived each other.  The varsity squad went undefeated last year, and they were favored to be repeat champions this year.  I looked down at the junior varsity squad as they pulled themselves out of the water.  One of them was Bolin; the other was his older brother, Mako; and the third was Hasook.

“You know, you could ask him out, Opal,” I said after hearing her sigh beside me.

Jumping, Opal finally realized that she had company beside her. “Asami!  When did you…you’ve been sitting there for a few minutes, haven’t you?” she asked softly.

I smiled and nodded. “Caught the last knockout as you gazed upon your goof of a crush,” I teased.

She pouted at the nickname. “He’s not a goof, Asami.  And you’re one to talk; you’ve been crushing hard on Mako since last year’s accident,” she countered.

 _Ouch.  Nice one, Opal._ It was somewhat true; I had been thinking a lot more about Mako since I accidently hit him with my moped last year on my way home from school.  He had just finished up a shift at work, and I was on my way from a robotics competition.  He had run out onto the street, intending on grabbing the bus just before it left, and he was lucky I didn’t do more damage than just a few bumps and small bruises.  Course, he had argued that I should have reacted sooner. 

I shook my head. “Sure, I am crushing a bit on Mako, but not as hard as you are.”

Opal beamed at the confession. “I KNEW IT!” she exclaimed. “I KNEW YOU WERE CRUSHING ON MAKO!”

I hurried to cover her mouth before looking down at the boys.  They had obviously heard the screaming, but from their innocent smiles and waves they hadn’t heard what was screamed.  From Kuvira’s look of confusion, neither had she.

I sighed and looked at Opal. “You are not to say another word, or I will let Su know about you and Kuvira’s little drunk experience last month at Garad’s,” I threatened softly.  Her eyes went wide before she sighed in agreement to my terms.  Garad was the oldest boy and heir to Cabbage Corp; he had thrown a rather large party in his father’s absence, which may or may not have had different variations of alcohol and a rather drunk Kuvira and Opal present.

I removed my hand and looked at the book on her lap. _Traveling the World as the 12-year-old Avatar.  By Avatar Aang._ It was a popular book about Aang’s adventures after Katara and Sokka awakened him in the South Pole.

“Since when do you read this?” I asked, pointing to the book.

Opal looked at it and then looked at me. “You mean, you haven’t heard?” she asked.

I looked at her confused. “Heard what?”

“The new Avatar has been revealed and she’s going to be a student here!” Opal said as we stood up.

I look at her in surprise.  As we made our way down the stairs and towards Kuvira, who was patiently waiting for us, Opal began to yammer about the rumors she had her in regards to the new student, the Avatar.  From her knowledge, all that was solidly known was that she was our age and that she was from the Southern Water Tribe.  Kuvira’s attention perked up when she heard our conversation.

“You don’t really believe that stuff, do you Opal?” she asked.

“Of course, Vee!  Just think about it:  the Avatar is a student at OUR school.  OUR school.  This is going to be so cool!  Maybe you and her could do some cool earthbending stuff,” Opal said excitedly, but Kuvira just rolled her eyes.

I smiled at Opal’s enthusiasm.  It would be cool that the Avatar would be going to our school.  Hopefully she’d be ready for the fan club I’m sure Opal was thinking about starting.

* * *

Time for first period.  Language class was always the easiest class for me, thanks to Dad having me studying different languages since I was nine.  I walked into class and took my seat in the second row, pulling out a notebook.  I was one of the last to arrive as Opal kept me back further to discuss her Avatar rumors.  She was in math, which I was sure she’d ask for help in the next couple days with homework.  I smiled; sometimes she was just too predictable.  As I searched for a pencil, our teacher, Mrs. Vols, stood up.

“Welcome everyone.  Now I know it’s everyone’s first day back, but I’d like you all to meet and greet a new student today,” she said, looking towards the door.  She motioned for the person to enter.  I set the pencil I had found down on my desk and looked up, surprised at who was standing at the front of the class.

There was the girl from early, the one with the dog.  A nervous smile played on her lips as she waved.  A blue Water Tribe armband was on her right arm.  _How did I miss that earlier?_ I continued to stare at her in amazement as she began to speak.

“Hi everyone.  My name’s Korra Spark.  And I’m the Avatar.”


	2. Falling Into Place

_You mean to tell me that girl I met this morning was the Avatar?!_ Instantly, I felt my cheeks start to burn.  _I can’t believe that I...What do you think she’ll…Crap she’s coming this way…_  I sat up straight, trying to at least look not as flustered as I was.  Korra took the empty seat beside me, dropping her bag down beside her seat.  Seeing as there wasn’t a screaming Varrick or a barking dog to interrupt my thoughts, I was able to get a better look at her.  She was dressed in blue jeans and a light blue tank top, whose color matched her Water Tribe armband that was wrapped around her right bicep.  _The way it wraps tightly but not too tight around her bicep must mean she probably exercises a lot,_ I noted.  It took me a minute before I realized she was staring at me confused.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

 _Shit.  Caught in the act of…wait was I just checking her out?!_ “Oh, uh…s-sorry.  I didn’t realize you were the one who was going to be our new student when we met this morning,” I said, praying that she didn’t catch my beginning stutter.

She smiled. “That’s ok.  I wasn’t really being polite this morning; it wasn’t until after I got Naga back into my mom’s car that I realized I hadn’t introduced myself to you and your friends this morning,” she said.

“Naga’s your dog right?” I asked, oblivious to the fact that class had already began.

Korra nodded. “Yeah; I call her my little polar bear becasuse she’s as white as one.  By the way, I’m Korra, but I can see you already know that from my earlier introduction,” she said, embarrassment playing on her cheeks as she started to blush as she extended her hand.

 _Embarrassment looks cute on her._ I mentally slapped myself.  _Get ahold of yourself, Asami.  She’s just new and really friendly._ “Hi Korra.  I’m Asami,” I replied, shaking her hand.

We smiled at each other before a clearing throat interrupted our conversation.  We looked forward to find Mrs. Vols looking disapprovingly at our class-interrupting conversation.  We both looked down at our laps as we offered our apologies.  She smiled then returned to talking to the rest of the class about the syllabus.

Once I knew we wouldn’t be given another glare of disapproval from the usually kind Mrs. Vols, I turned my attention back to Korra. “Sorry,” I whispered.

She looked at me confused, whispering back, “Why?  We’re both technically at fault.”

I smiled. _Humble, too._ “If you’d like, I can show you around later.  Get you more familiar with school and Republic City,” I continued to whisper.

She smiled back. “I’ll take you up on that offer.”

With that, we turned our attentions back to Mrs. Vols, but I couldn’t help shake this weird feeling in my chest.  Something about this new girl, something about Korra, left me feeling weird.  I didn’t know what it was, but it felt like we were supposed to be here, supposed to meet somehow.  _I’m just psyching myself out for no reason.  Just first day jitters, that’s it._  

* * *

The rest of my morning flew by, and before I knew it, it was lunch time.  I was walking towards the cafeteria with my lunch, prepared that morning by yours truly, when I felt a familiar person jump onto my back.  Instinct dictated that I catch them, and familiarity allowed me not to drop my lunch onto the floor.  I smiled when Opal huffed at the failed attempt to scare me.

“You did this all last year, Opal.  Did you really think that the summer would make me forget?” I asked.

“Maybe…” she replied, softly admitting defeat before sliding off my back. “So I heard someone has a class with the Avatar.”

I nodded. “First class of the day.  Then I’m by myself until this afternoon when I have one of my electives with Bolin.”  Just the mention of the boy’s name made Opal’s face light up.

And ensuing gushing about everything Bolin-related commenced.  It lasted the walk to our usual table and the wait for Kuvira before she finally began to take more notice in her food than Bolin.  I sighed in content.  _At least she was happy, but seriously.  Somehow I need to set her up with the guy before the poor girl gets her heart broken._ I had just settled into my seat, watching Kuvira and Opal discuss something home-related when I saw a familiar figure weaving through the tables.

Korra was holding her lunch, clearly looking sadden when she couldn’t find a place to eat.  The look on her face was one of longing to find a friendly face.  But of course, high schoolers were one of the most inconsiderable species one could find on the planet.  I raised my hand, waving it at her. “Korra!  Over here!” I shouted.

Korra looked at me and smiled before moving towards our table.  Opal and Kuvira both gave me confused looks.  It wasn’t until she was closer that I finally realized that while they knew of the Avatar attending our school, they didn’t know who exactly she was.  She sat down in the open seat beside me, dropping her bag to the floor.

“Hey, thanks.  I was about to go find an empty classroom or someplace else to eat,” Korra said, rubbing the back of her neck with a small smile.  _Why does that smile make me feel so weird?_

“It’s no big deal.  Korra, these are my friends, Opal and Kuvira.  Opal and Kuvira, this is Korra.  She’s a new student,” I introduced.

Opal smiled. “Welcome to Republic City High!” Kuvira gave a curt nod.

“Thanks.  It’s nice to meet you both,” Korra replied as Opal began to drink her iced tea.

“Oh, I almost forgot, Opal.  Korra’s the Avatar,” I said, knowing that I was catching my best friend off guard at the best possible time.  And was it worth it.

Opal’s eyes went huge, and the next thing we knew, she had turned her head, spitting out the iced tea she had just began to drink.  And who else would she managed to spit it on but Zhu Li and Varrick, who had just arrived to the table.  Zhu Li looked quite annoyed; Varrick was hysterical.  Even Kuvira, Miss High-And-Mighty, was stunned at the revelation.  Of course I couldn’t help myself at the turn of events and began to laugh hard.  What a sight it was to see Kuvira speechless and Varrick covered in ice tea.  I couldn’t contain my laughter; Korra turned such a deep red that she could have been embarrassed for the both of us.

“YOU’RE THE AVATAR?!” Opal practically shouted, causing several heads to turn and look in our direction.

I didn’t think that Korra could get any redder, but she proved me wrong as she almost turned sun-burnt red from embarrassment.  She looked at her hands, nodding slowly as I stifled my laughter.  I hadn’t meant to embarrass her that much.  I gave Opal a look, instantly shutting her up, before I put my hand on Korra’s shoulder.

“Hey, don’t let Opal’s enthusiasm get to you.  She’s just very excited to meet someone as special as you,” I said, not relaying what I had just said until it was a second too late.  _Shit…please don’t take that as a flirt.  PLEASE don’t take that as a flirt.  PLEASE DON’T TAKE THAT AS A FLIRT._

Korra looked up at me and smiled gently. “Thanks.  It’s just…I was homeschooled for most of my life.  So this is all really new to me,” she said softly.

“Well, prepare for a huge ass change in life, new girl,” Kuvira said, leaning back in her chair as Opal started to throw apology after apology to Korra.

“Don’t mind Kuvira.  She means well,” I said as Opal began to calm down and ease back on the apologies.

By the end of this part of the conversation, Zhu Li and Varrick had finished cleaning up themselves from the iced tea episode.  Varrick was complaining heavily on how his clothes would have to go through some contraption he had invented to get all of the stains out.  Zhu Li just rolled her eyes as she turned her attention to Korra.

“So, how about we get into a different conversation that doesn’t include Opal spitting iced tea on me again.  How old is your dog?” she asked, taking a bite of her salad.  _I could never be a vegan; way too many greens and not enough meat._

Korra’s attitude definitely changed at the mention of her dog. “She’s two years old but still acts like a small puppy.  Her name’s Naga,” she said.

Zhu Li smiled as they continued their conversation. _She always knew how to relieve the tension between us.  Maybe that’s why she’s always been the glue in our friendship._ I began to eat my lunch, content with watching and listening to Zhu Li and Korra’s conversation, when a movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.  I turned my head slightly, and there was Mako and Bolin walking to their table in the corner.

Bolin was wearing khaki pants with a green shirt that looked like a casual-type of formal.  He was enthusiastically describing something to Mako as they took their seats.  _The more and more I watch Bolin, the more I can see why Opal crushes so hard on him.  They’re so alike, it’s scary._ Then, there was Mako.  Black dress pants with a dark grey jacket vest on over a blood red cutoff.  Around his neck was a Fire Nation scarf, even though it was rather warm outside.  No one knew why he wore that scarf, and he was never seen without it.  He lazily nodded during Bolin’s story, slowly eating his food.  It was hard not to see why all the girls would fawn over him, myself included.  The way he had spiked his hair, the way his chiseled jaw was set firmly.  He had a toned body, but not as muscular as Korra’s was.  _Wait…why am I comparing him and Korra?  What the heck am I doing?!_

In the middle of my silent argument with myself as to why my brain decided to do something as stupid as the comparison, Mako looked up, directly at me.  My cheeks ran red, and I looked down, my food becoming the most interesting thing in the last ten seconds.  A few seconds later, I decided, stupidly, to look back towards Mako, who had a small smile on his face before turning his attention to his brother.

 _Wow…he has such a nice smile.  I hope he didn’t catch me staring for too long._ I looked back at my plate, but I couldn’t find it interesting enough to finish.  I could feel Kuvira’s stare digging deep into me, so I decided to finally look up at her.  She raised her eyebrow, as though asking if I was going to explain later.  I shrugged in response.  Must have been a good answer because she turned her attention to the advanced metalbending book she had in her hands.  She was always reading something in regards to earthbending or metalbending like it was her every day assignment from Su. 

Opal had caught the exchange of silent conversation, whispering to me, “Everything ok?”

I nodded and smiled. “Yeah.  I’ll explain later, ok?” She only nodded before finishing her lunch.

It wasn’t long after that the bell rang to finally end lunch.  I packed up my things and saw Varrick dragging Korra with him as he headed down the hall that led to the science department.  I couldn’t help a smile when she looked at me with a desperate look.  _Poor girl.  She must have class next with him.  Hopefully Zhu Li’s in the same class, or she’s pretty much doomed._ As if reading my mind, Zhu Li raced after them, both her books and Varrick’s in her arms.  I sighed.  _Andddd there goes the assistant.  The way she follows him makes me feel like there’s more to her story._

I smiled to myself at the thought but brushed it aside as I strolled to my next class.

* * *

My shop class was the class I was looking forward to the most.  The teacher, Mr. Wells, was never one to impede on a student’s clear talent, which left me to do whatever I pleased and still earn a high grade in the class.  Today was more of getting my station set up for the next few days.  I had already planned out which projects and schematics I wanted to work on first, but the station itself was going to take at least a day to get ready.  The cleaning and prepping of the station was important, and because it hadn’t had a visitor in a few months, the cleaning was going to take priority.

I was in the middle of finishing the scrubbing of the main table when a shadow came into my view.  I turned around to see Tahno and his friends standing just a few inches away from me.  _Of course I’d have to deal with them today, of all days.  And I still have a lot of work to do on this station before the end of the period._ To say that I was irritated was the understatement of the day.

“Well, well.  Looky here, Sato.  Why don’t you accept my invitation to dinner tonight?” Tahno asked.  It was guys like him that made me thankful that Dad had insisted on self-defense classes.  They could never take a hint until I knocked one into them.

“For the last time, Tahno, no.  Or do we have to have a repeat of last time?” I asked, a smirk playing on my mouth.

The infuriation that ran across Tahno’s face was a spectacular image, but the conversation was interrupted when Mr. Wells came out to check to see how the rest of the class was doing.  When he noticed that Tahno and his gang weren’t at their stations, he went off on a tirade on how it was important to never leave your station, that it was just asking for trouble to happen.

I smiled at Mr. Wells’s interruption; it gave me the time I needed to finish scrubbing the main table and to check the other areas of the station to see how much cleaning they’d need.  Thankfully, it wasn’t long after that the cleaning finished.  I pulled the list out that I had written this morning before I left; it contained all of the tools that I would need at the station for the first two projects I wanted to crank out.  Only a few of the tools were actually included in the station, so I walked over to the Tool Shop to grab the rest of them.  It took my three trips to finally get the station to the way I preferred, and the bell rang just as I was putting the tools away in their respective drawers.  Wiping my hands on my towel, I set it on the station and grabbed my bag, heading out of the room towards my next class.

I was so focused on my next class that I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings until I bumped into someone.

“Oh, sorry.  I didn’t mean to-“ I started to say before looking up at the person I had bumped into.  Turns out, it was Mako.

He smiled at me. “It’s ok.  I should’ve been watching where I was walking.”

I started to say something in response, but it felt as if my throat had begun to dry from a desert.  I stood there, like an idiot, my mouth open as I tried to figure out what to say to him.  _What the heck, Asami!  Say something to the guy!  You’ve been practicing what you’d say to him, and now you get stage fright?!_

Mako smiled at me, choosing to speak up before I had embarrassed myself even farther. “So…I was wondering if you’d like to go on a date sometime.”

I looked at him, still struggling to make a response. “Uh…uh…uh sure.”  _Finally, the words decide to make an appearance._ ”How about…Narook’s at eight?”

The smile that had graced his face disappeared. “I…I don’t have anything near that good for wear for something that fancy.”

I smiled at him.  _Aw.  He’s so adorable when he’s embarrassed._ “Don’t worry about it.  I’ll take care of it.  So…eight?”

He looked at me slowly, studying me, before returning the smile. “Uh, sure.  Eight it is,” he said.

I smiled, wrapping my arms around my books before I began to walk again towards my next class.  _A date with Mako tonight?  Score!_  I couldn’t help the smile that lit my face, even when my next class was with Bolin.  Everything was falling into place, and it was just the first day of the school year.  What else could go better!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments! It's been fun writing this story so far, and I'm glad that others like it as well. Til next time!
> 
> -Soccet


	3. Post-Lunch Smiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So far the first day has been going SPLENDID! Date with Mako: Check. Deal with idiots: Check. Flirt with the new girl:...Check?...
> 
> What else could go so wrong yet so right today?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soccet here. Thank you SO much for all the kudos, comments, and the like. You have no idea how giggly I get when I see them! As in the tag for the relationship, this is a Korrasami fanfic, so eventually it will happen; thus, enjoy the Masami fluff right now as it will disappear the further this story progresses in exchange for Korrasami fluff. :3 And, if you couldn't tell, I am having way too much fun writing in the mental arguments Asami has with herself when it comes to Korra.
> 
> As always, enjoy  
> -Soccet

I was still smiling about my future date with Mako when I walked into my science class.  My mind continued to dream about what I should wear when Opal shouted my name.  I looked towards her direction, and she waved me over to her and the station she had picked out for us.  I smiled and walked over to her, setting my books down as I took the seat next to her.  _So much smiling today, and it’s only the first day.  Hopefully the rest of the year goes just as well._

“I didn’t realize at lunch that we had yet to compare our schedules together.  How dumb of me to forget to check which classes I’d have with my best friend,” she said, pulling out her notebook.  By the glance of the cover, I could see it was the one that she would doodle and write about everything Bolin-related in it.

I shrugged. “We’ve had a class together for the past two years; why not a third, Miss Smarty-Pants?” I teased.

She rolled her eyes at me as she jotted down a note in her notebook.  I heard her phone vibrate for a text as I was pulling out my notebook and pencil.  When I looked back at her, she was staring at me with a smile that was on the verge of creepy.

“What?” I asked.  _Seriously, Opal.  Stop with the creepy smile.  Kind of freaking me out right now to say the least._

“I just got a text from a reliable source that said you’re going out on a date with Mako.  That true, best friend?!” she asked a little too enthusiastically.

I narrowed my eyes. “And who is your reliable source?” There was only one person that I knew who would already be telling Opal this.

She gave me an innocent smile. “Just a friend,” she said.

That only confirmed my suspicion.  “It’s Zolt, isn’t it.”   _Of course, “Lightning Bolt Zolt” would hear that Mako and I were going out on a date and tell Opal.  He just better be glad I don’t see him at all the rest of the day._

Opal gave me a fake surprised look. “Why no, Asami!  Why would I have anything to do with that lower level punk!”

I rolled my eyes and gently punched her in the arm. “I don’t know why you still talk to him.  He is drama personified in this school.  Both the starter and the spreader,” I said, leaning forward on my elbows.

She smiled. “Then how would I be able to get my dirt on Vee?” she asked.

I laughed. “You know, there are other ways to get dirt on your sister, Opal.”

She shrugged, continuing to smile. “But it’s too much fun to do it this way.  Plus, it’s free if I get it from him, and so much easier too.”

 _Had to give it to her.  Zolt was always willing to give Opal info whenever she asked for it from him._ “Well, just be careful, or you might be the next target of his drama obsession.”

She hugged me close before the class began. “Come on, Asami.  You know me, always careful!”

* * *

 

Science flew by, mostly because we were going over safety procedures.  It gave Opal plenty of time to draw a new cartoon of Bolin in her notebook and myself time to think about what clothes to get for Mako to wear for our date.  I had an idea of the dress I wanted to wear, but to figure something out for Mako to wear was a very different ballpark.

“Hey Opal,” I whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Can you see if Bolin knows Mako’s shirt and pants sizes?”

A few clicks later and she had an answer. “Medium top, and pants are 32 by 34.  Also, he says good luck.”

I groaned softly. “He’s heard too?”

She smiled at me. “Asami, the whole school’s probably heard by now.”

I sighed, dropping my head into my hands.  _Of course the entire school would hear.  At least my last class is with Bolin where I can beat him into keeping silent about it._  And here I was thinking that I could get by with a nice, normal date without being the gossip of the school for once.  _That’s what I get for being Hiroshi Sato’s daughter, I guess._

As if reading my mind, the bell rang.  I quickly grabbed my books, bid goodbye to Opal, and practically ran to my next class.  I didn’t want to listen to the gossip in the hallways; I already knew it was going to be there.  I was only a few doors away from my next class when I felt a hand grasp my shoulder.  Instinctively pissed, I turned to see who it was, and the color and anger drained from my face.  It was Korra.

“Hey, you ok?  You look like you’re in a major hurry to get somewhere far away,” she said, worry starting to furrow her brow.

“Y-yeah.  I’m ok.  Sorry; just a lot on my mind,” I said softly.  _Why do I keep feeling like this whenever I talk with her?_

She smiled, _gosh that smile_ , and patted my shoulder. “Hey, whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll work through it.  Where’s your next class?”

“Math,” I said, pointing to the door just a few feet away from us.

Korra adjusted her bag on her shoulder and smiled. “Sweet.  Means we have two classes together.  Come on, before we’re late.”

I nodded and followed her to the classroom.  _What is wrong with me?  She’s just really nice.  But why do I always feel…so super weird around her?_ The mental battle didn’t last long as Bolin shouted towards both of us as we entered the room.

“Asami!  Bring your friend and yourself over here!” he said, an enthusiasm that literally matched Opal’s radiating from his body.

I rolled my eyes and smiled at him.  I took the seat behind him while Korra took the seat to his left.  Bolin kept his eyes on Korra as she pulled her notebook out, that look of flirtiness playing on his face.  I reached forward and slapped the back of his head, causing him to shriek back in pain.

“What was that for?” he asked, holding his head and giving me a puppy dog pout.

“For staring, you goof,” I replied.  _When really it’s to keep you from keeping ideas._

Korra tried her hardest to keep a laugh stifled, but it was slowly making its way out. “Is this how you guys are all the time?  It’s like everywhere I go, people you two are associated with are always doing something weird yet funny,” she said.

I smiled, a little embarrassed at the impression she had of us. “Not really.  I guess it’s just because it’s the first day, and we haven’t really seen each other this summer.”

“Well, Mako and I did invite you to come over more, but those schematics of yours always were taking priority,” Bolin teased, leaning against the wall by his seat.

“I was not always working on my schematics,” I countered.

“Oh, right.  Your dad had you the other times when you weren’t, Miss Heiress-of-Future-Industries.”

Korra looked at me in confusion. “Wait what?  Your dad’s Hiroshi Sato?”

I nodded, blushing a little. “I don’t usually say anything because of how much I get annoyed by idiot guys,” I said, elbowing Bolin in the arm. “But sometimes idiots like Bolin don’t know when to keep their mouths shut.”

Bolin threw me an apologetic smile, but that didn’t deter Korra. “That’s so cool!  Do you have your own Satomobile?” she asked, just as the teacher walked into the classroom.

I caught a glimpse of him, _looks like we have a brand new teacher all together_ , before answering Korra, “Yeah, but it’s an older model.  I’ve drawn up my own schematics for my own personal Satomobile.”

“Wow, you’re like a genius or something,” she said, leaning back into her seat.

I smiled at her compliment before the teacher cleared his throat to get our attentions.  He was tall, and by the way of his complexion and the dress of his clothes, we could see that he was a member of the Water Tribe.  He had an all-mighty aura to him, which made me feel a bit uneasy.  _Something doesn’t feel right with him._

“Good morning, everyone.  My name is Mr. Tarrlok Arlin, and I will be your Statistics teacher for the school year,” he began, though the rest of his introduction didn’t really interest me past his name.  What was still bugging me was the feeling that something was very wrong with this guy, and I couldn’t put my finger on it.  Hopefully, it was just my jitters about having a new teacher.  Maybe that’s what it was.

* * *

 

The end of the period, along with the end of the day, felt as if it was sluggishly coming along.  While the class itself was an elective for me, both Bolin and Korra were required to take it.  That was the only real difference between the non-bender course path and the bender course path:  some classes were required for one side and not the other and vice versa.  It helped that math came very easily to me, one of the reasons why I was looking at attending Republic City University for their engineering program.  The University of Ba Sing Se and Republic City University featured the best engineering programs in the world, but I felt that Republic City University was going to be a better option for me in the long run.  Helped that they were willing to help pay for more of my tuition with scholarships and grants.

While Mr. Arlin, _still a weird feeling no matter how much I spent of this period trying to convince myself that there wasn’t_ , finished up discussing the syllabus, I had finished drawing up what clothes I was going to order for tonight’s date with Mako.  I smiled as I looked at the list.  _He’s going to love these clothes…I hope.  They weren’t usually his style, but he did seem hopeful when I said that I’d take care of it._ It was then that I noticed Korra had been staring at my list, the look on her face trying to decipher what I had written down.  I smiled and was about to answer in a soft voice when the bell rang to signal the end of the day.

Everyone quickly packed up their things and stood, eager to leave.  I had just pulled my bag over my shoulder, eager to answer Korra’s silent question, but Bolin managed to beat me to a conversation starter.

“So Korra, how’s your bending?” he asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.  She smiled, but it wasn’t like one of those cute smiles that she gave me.  _Good; Bolin doesn’t need to get it in his head that Korra’s his when I’m still trying to help Opal get a date with him._

“Well, I am the Avatar, Bolin,” she said, shrugging. “I’ve been trained in earthbending, firebending, and waterbending profusely.”

Bolin smiled and started to drag her towards the classroom’s door.  I followed them, already knowing where this conversation was heading.

“Well, if you haven’t gotten a commitment for after school yet, why don’t you come watch a few of our bending practices!” he suggested.  He was already leading us to the practice arena, but Korra didn’t know that.

“You guys have a high school bending team?”  she asked, her eyes lighting up in excitement.  _Man, that look was so adorable…ASAMI SNAP OUT OF IT AND QUIT DAY DREAMING ABOUT HER ALREADY!_

Bolin smiled at her excitement. “Yupp.  I don’t mean to brag, but I’m on the team, so maybe we could get you a spot on a team.”

“Bolin, enough flirting with the new girl.  Go get ready with the rest of the junior varsity so that we can start practice,” I heard Kuvira say as she walked into the girls’ locker room, Bolin’s face turning a shade of red.

I chuckled at Bolin’s embarrassment and nodded towards the doors that led to the spectator seats. “Come on, we can watch them from here, Korra.”

Korra smiled and followed me out to the seats, where Opal was already sitting.  She waved to us as we climbed the stair to her.  It was then that Korra finally spoke up, asking her question that I was sure she was holding onto since the end of math.

“So Asami, what was that list for?” she asked, taking a seat beside me as I sat beside Opal.  _Maybe not everyone had heard and Opal was just being her dramatic self._  

“Oh, that’s a list of clothes with sizes that she’s going to order for Mako for their date tonight,” Opal said, answering for me.  _Damn it, Opal!_ I glared at her; her response was to shrug and smile.

Korra’s face looked upset and… _was that a hint of disappointment I seen?_ The look, or looks, quickly disappeared as she changed attitude. “Hot guy?” she asked, leaning forward onto her elbows.

“You could say so.  He’s Bolin’s older brother, and they’re actually coming out onto the arena right now,” Opal said, pointing to the two brothers.  They came out first, followed slowly by Hasook.  _Always the lazy one on the team._

Practice went on as it did every other day, the varsity kicking the junior varsity’s ass handily.  Korra watched with an intense concentration, softly speaking about what was working against the junior varsity’s favor, specifically Hasook.  When practice ended, she was the one the most agitated by the commitment of Hasook.

“I mean, come on.  Even a beginner could do better than what he was putting out there, and that was practice!” she exclaimed as we waited for Kuvira to finish changing.

I shrugged. “He’s always been the weakest link for the junior varsity, but no one else wanted to work with Bolin and Mako, so they had to pair him with them.”

“Why didn’t anyone want to work with them?” Korra asked, leaning against a nearby locker.

Opal huffed beside me. “Because, outside of the varsity team with Kuvira, they all see them as low lives because they grew up on the streets and got a scholarship to come here.”

I knew it was a sore spot for Opal because of her crush on Bolin.  She hated it whenever we heard someone criticize the brothers, and she was always the first to respond to the criticism with a well-thought-of retort.  That, and she was always one to stick up for the little guy.  It was just her nature to.  While Korra and Opal began to go back and forth in regards to their dislikes, my phone rang with a text from Dad.

**Dad:  Going to be late getting home.  Important meeting.  Fix/order whatever you want. Love you.**

I smiled.  _And he said I was an overachiever._

**Me:  Alright.  I was going to go out with someone tonight, but I’ll probably still beat you home.  Love you too.**

I put my phone back in my pocket as Kuvira came out of the locker room.  She swung her gym bag over her shoulders, her hair still damp from the quick shower I was sure she had taken.  She was never one to smell of sweat after a workout.

“Ready to go, Ope?” she asked Opal.

Opal quickly grabbed her book bag. “Yupp.  Mom said that we needed to head home straight after practice.”

Kuvira rolled her eyes but nodded.  They waved their goodbyes as they left, leaving me alone with Korra.  It was almost four, and I still had to call ahead to make sure those clothes were ready for Mako for tonight.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said as I began to head out to my car.

Korra waved goodbye.  If I had been paying more attention than I was, I would have recognized that the wave had more disappointment registering in it.  But I had more important things to think about.  Like the date with Mako tonight.  _I can’t wait!_ I giggled at the thought and got into my grumpy old car to head home.  _Tonight’s going to be awesome._


	4. Any Volunteers?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of the week, and a surprise leaves everyone baffled in awe.

I slumped in my seat during Mrs. Vols class, relishing the high I was on from the past few days.  Everything was going smooth as could be.  The date with Mako was a success, _because you know I can pick out some really nice clothes_ , and I had a great feeling that it was going to get even better.  Classes were as easy as could be for my senior year.  Turned out that my favorite classes ended up being Shop, _of course_ , and the two classes I had with Korra, Language and Math.  _She’s becoming more comfortable to be around.  It’s great to hear her laugh…God Asami, could you be any more of a flirting idiot?  You’re practically officially/not officially dating Mako now!  QUIT FAWNING OVER KORRA!  YOU DON’T ROLL THAT WAY!_

I shook my head as Korra entered the room.  She smiled as she took her seat next to mine and proceeded to pull out her homework.

“You’re extremely happy looking,” she commented as she dug through her bag for a pencil.

I shrugged and smiled. “Mako’s meeting my dad tonight, and I have a surprise lined up for him.”

Korra managed to find a pencil and put it on her desk before turning her attention to me. “Oh?  Do tell,” she said, a mischievous smile on her face.

I rolled my eyes and leaned forward. “You’re getting just as bad as Opal is in regards to trying to hide your true intentions, Ms. Spark.”

Korra laughed and shrugged. “That’s what you get what I hang out with you guys for five days straight, Ms. Sato.”

I smiled at her laugh, handing up my homework when Mrs. Vols called for it.  I flipped through my notebook to the next clean page, writing down today’s date on the top corner for future reference. “So how’s the practices going?”

Korra shrugged.  After attending a couple of the bending team practices with Opal and I, Kuvira had suggested that Korra practice with them.  Korra didn’t waste a minute taking up her offer, and she had been practicing with them every practice since.

“Why don’t you stop by later today?  Kuvira’s changing up the practice today, so it might be interesting watching Hasook get the shit kicked out of him,” she suggested, a smile on her face.

I rolled my eyes.  Ever since she had joined, Hasook had worked a bit harder to out duel her for the waterbender spot on the junior varsity, but everyone could see that he was literally no match for Korra.  _I mean, how hard was it to see that the most talented one deserved the spot, even if it was on the junior varsity?...I’m doing it again.  Damn it!_

It wasn’t until my internal monologue was finished that I noticed Korra staring at me, waiting for an answer. “Uh…sure!  Why not,” I said, smiling at her.  _Smooth, Asami.  Real smooth._

Korra smiled that smile that always made me feel weird as she turned her attention back to class.  I tried to do the same but found that it was useless.  My stomach was churning as my brain battled itself in wanting to think about that smile and reminding me that I was practically dating Mako.  _It’s not like I like her that way.  She just…makes me feel really weird, especially when she smiles that one smile.  Which, thinking about it, she only does for me…STOP IT.  You’re with Mako; hell, you’ve had the biggest crush on him since the moped accident, and you’ve been waiting FOREVER to finally date him, which is happening right now!  She’s just a friend, Asami.  JUST A FRIEND._

Before I knew it, I had subconsciously drawn a name at the top of my open page.  I didn’t know how to feel about it as I looked at it.  I knew what my mind was telling me, but the rest of me?  Not so much.  Because at the top of the page, in very flowery letters, I had written Korra Spark.  I quickly switched to the next page in my book before Korra could have seen it, hopefully.  I hadn’t missed much of the notes that Mrs. Vols, so I quickly wrote down the ones she currently had up on the board.  Maybe this would help take my mind off of the internal conflict.  Of course, becoming so focused in my attempt to work on the notes caused me to miss that ever so cute smile Korra had on her face as she watched me before returning her attention to class.

* * *

The rest of the day flew by, and before I knew it, I was standing outside the locker room with Opal as we waited for Korra to catch up to us.  Mr. Arlin had asked her to stick around at the end of the class to ask her something.  _I don’t care if it’s only been a few days, he still gives me the creeps._  I was deep in my I-don’t-like-Arlin thoughts when Korra sped around a corner and headed towards us.

“Sorry!  I didn’t mean to keep you waiting,” she said, not at all out of breath from the sprint.

Opal smiled. “We’re not the ones you should be apologizing to.  Vee’s already inside, so you better hurry.  You don’t want to be doing planks while everyone else is having fun, now do you?”

Korra nodded and sped into the locker room.  I shook my head as Opal and I turned to head towards the spectator’s bleachers.  We had begun the climb to our usual seats when the team came out of their respective locker rooms.  We saw Kuvira exit first with Korra right behind her, no doubt explaining why she was late to practice.  I looked up at the farther door as Mako and Bolin exited.  I smiled, waving at Mako, who returned the wave and smile.

“You two are getting pretty close,” Opal commented.

I kept my eyes on Mako as everyone gathered in a circle around Kuvira to stretch. “I hope so; he’s meeting Dad tonight after all.”

Opal leaned forward onto her knees. “Right, right.  So, you going to tell me about this surprise or not?”

I rolled my eyes. “Still trying to get it out of me, huh Opal?” I said, pulling out my camera out of my bag.

“Well you won’t tell me!  Usually you’ve had hinted about something or just flat out told me by now.  You’re being too stubborn about it this time,” she said, pouting as she watched me adjust the settings on my camera.

I lined my camera up and took two quick practice shots. “That’s because I want it to be a good surprise tonight.”

Opal huffed in response, leaning her cheek into her palm as we watched Kuvira line everyone who was practicing up into a line.  That got both of our attentions.  I set my camera on my lap as I watched Kuvira count the number of people in the line, a smile playing on her face.  Korra had said that Kuvira was planning something new for practice, but this was beyond different than her usual approaches.  She looked up at us and waved us down.

“She wants us to be closer.  I wonder why,” I said as I gathered my things, keeping my camera out of my bag as I swung it onto my back.  Opal shrugged, as clueless as I was at the moment.

We took our seats on the bench that was closest to the stage.  Kuvira began to walk over to us as I dropped my bag gently beside my feet, a smile wide on her face.

“Asami, did you bring both of your cameras today?” she asked, her helmet twirling on her hand.

I nodded, pulling out the camera I used mainly for video along with its stand. “Course.  You did ask for me to.”

She looked at Opal and asked, “Do you know how to run that camera?” Opal nodded, as confused as I was.

Kuvira smiled at both of us. “Good.  Asami’s got the pictures, and Opal’s got the video,” she said, turning her attention back to the other benders. “Today’s practice is going to focus on one-versus-three combat, seeing as the junior varsity keeps getting themselves into such situations during tournaments.”

Bolin looked down at his feet in embarrassment; Mako narrowed his eyes at Kuvira.  Hasook was…Hassok.  _Not even caring when he was called out for something that was usually his fault in the first place._

Ignoring Mako’s glare, Kuvira continued as she made her way back in front of everyone. “Asami was gracious enough to bring her camera to record the battles, which we’ll use to study and get better.  Opal will be running that camera, while Asami will take pictures as she always does at practices.  Any questions?” There were none. “Good.  Now, the first team of three will be the varsity team.  Any volunteers to be the first one up?”

A silence enveloped as the remaining varsity members high-fived each other and moved to Kuvira’s side.  _Oh great, she’s going to pick someone to be the first to fall.  And of course, it’ll be Bolin because she absolutely loves to pick on the poor boy._ I was in the midst of telling Opal to be ready for Bolin’s upcoming beat down when a hand was raised in the air.

It was Korra’s, a smile of confidence gracing her face. “If no one else wants to go first, I’ll go,” she said, moving forward out of the line.

Kuvira smirked at Korra. “You sure about that, rookie?  We won’t hold back.”

Korra shrugged then smiled her cocky smile. “Wouldn’t expect you to.  So, are we going to get started or not?”

Opal and I looked at each other in amazement before hastily getting the equipment together and ready.  To take on the defending champions by yourself was nothing short of gutsy to say the least.  To beat them, well that was going to take a miracle.  Mako, Bolin, and Hasook made their way over to us as the lower level of the stage retracted, revealing the pool that laid beneath the stage.

Mako came over to me as he kept his eyes on Korra. “Is she crazy?” he whispered to me.  I shrugged.  _Who knew, especially with her._

“Mako!” Kuvira called from their side of the stage, causing Mako to jump. “You’ll be the judge.  Hurry over so we can get this started.”

Mako looked at me, giving me an apologetic look.  I rolled my eyes and smiled, leaning up and kissing his cheek. “Get going before she starts yelling,” I said.

He smiled, a slight blush to his cheeks, as he ran over to the judge’s spot.  I smiled as he ran off before turning my attention to Korra.  My heart thumped hard against my chest at the look I saw on her face before she quickly made it disappear.  It was one of disappointment, of disheartening.  _Did I do something wrong?  I’ll have to ask her after practice before I leave._

As Mako began to climb the stairs towards the judge’s spot, Kuvira put her helmet on and began to talk to Korra. “Same rules apply as if this were a real match.  Means you only get to use your waterbending,” she said, a small smirk on her face.

Korra smiled that cocky smile again, putting her helmet on. “Fine with me.  Just try to keep up.”

Irritation ran through Kuvira’s face, and I could hear Opal giggle at the sight.  I couldn’t help but smile.  _It was rare for someone to get Kuvira this irritated, especially when it came to bending contests._ Mako had finally reached the judge’s platform, which stood higher so that the entire stage could be seen.

“Benders ready?!” he announced as he looked from side to side.  All contestants nodded. “Begin!”

Everyone took a different stance, but Korra’s was the one I was more interested in.  I had watched her practice before, but this stance was so much different than her typical stance for waterbending.  Her concentration was different as well; it was more focused than usual.  Soon enough, the varsity team began their barrage, led by Kuvira.  They were relentless in their attacks, one of the reasons why they were favored to be repeat champions, but it didn’t seem to phase Korra.

It didn’t take long before she was backed up into the second zone, but the amount of attacks didn’t stop there.  As Korra moved, dodging each attack but not offering a counterattack, it was as if we were watching her float on air.  Each attack was meticulously dodged, but none had given her the opening she was clearly looking for.  Soon enough, the fire and waterbenders for the varsity team were starting to lose steam, and Korra saw her chance to counter.

First she dodge a combined attacked from Kuvira and the waterbender.  She dodged one, landed on her right foot for a second before launching herself into the air to dodge the second attack.  Waterbending the water out of the stage, she threw a hit that landed square into the firebender’s chest, sending her flying backwards into the third zone.

Kuvira and the waterbender upped their attacks to allow for the firebender to recover.  It was as if I was watching Korra perform a dance as she dodged each attack.  Another opening presented itself, and Korra struck the waterbender, sending her backwards into the third zone and tripping up her partner.  Kuvira didn’t relent on her attacks, but the lessened amount of attacks gave Korra enough time to hit the firebender and the waterbender one last time, knocking them both back into the water.

Now it was just Korra and Kuvira.  Attack after attack, counter after counter.  It was as if they could read each other’s thoughts, a dance with two partners that had known each other forever.  I had stopped taking pictures of the battle long before the two varsity players were knocked out, enthralled by the battle that had erupted before me.  Fifteen minutes later, and the battle was still going on, neither side relenting.  They moved from zone to zone, neither getting close enough to the edge to be knocked out quite yet.

Another attack and another counter later found the two breathing hard as they stared at each other with a determination that rivaled the other’s look.  Kuvira was running out of earth plates, and Korra was running out of water to use.  Both sensed it as they began to reengage each other, throwing all they had left at each other.  Attack, then a block.  Another attack, another block.  Back and forth.

Finally, Kuvira was down to her last plate, and Korra was down to her last amount of water.  They both stared at each other intensely before they each shot their respective attacks at the other.  Both shots hit their marks, causing the two benders flying to their respective ends and into the pool.  I couldn’t believe it:  it was a draw!  _That was so amazing for Korra to hold her own against Kuvira for that long!_

“Wow.  No one’s lasted that long against Vee like ever, let alone end the match in a draw!” Opal breathed in amazement as Korra and Kuvira were both helped out of their respective teammates.

“THAT WAS AMAZING!” I heard Varrick shout from behind me.  I turned and found him and Zhu Li standing on the bleachers, amazement also in their eyes.  _When did they get here?_

I watched as they sat on the stage to catch their breaths, Varrick clapping like a wild man and Zhu Li staring at Korra clapping slowly as she tried to process the end of the match.  The junior varsity were ecstatically congratulating Korra, while the varsity knelt beside Kuvira, worry on their brows.  Korra smiled at the compliments; Kuvira watched her with a neutral face that was calculating.  Then a smile appeared on her face.

“Well done, Korra.  I seem to have underestimated you,” she said, her smile transforming into a smirk.

Korra smirked back. “Same to you, Kuv.”

They stood on their own, approaching each other and shook hands.  To say that to Korra took a hit to Kuvira’s pride, I was sure, but Korra deserved it.  _That was so…amazing and…and…wow._

The rest of practice went on as expected, even with Korra and Kuvira not at their best.  The junior varsity, excluding Korra, got their asses handed to them when it was their turns, and the varsity easily knock the competition into the water when it came to their individual turns.  It came to no one’s surprise when Kuvira began to yell at Hasook for his lack of engagement in practice, which he in turn brushed off.  _He’s never going to change._

After practice, I was waiting for Mako to come out of the locker room when Korra exited the girls’ locker room first.  I ran over and hugged her close. “That was so amazing, Korra!” I told her, pulling away slightly to look at her reaction. “Where’d you learn to move like that?”

She blushed and hugged me back before releasing me. “It was nothing, really.  I’ve been working with an airbending teacher, Tenzin, and he’s been pushing for me to be more focused.  I guess it just started to click during practice,” she said softly.

I smiled. “Well that was some focus then,” I said as I adjusted my book bag, heavier due to my camera equipment, on my back, starting to turn back towards my waiting spot when she spoke up again.

“Um, Asami…can I ask you a question?” she asked just as softly.

I turned to face her. “Yeah; what’s up?”

Her cheeks started to turn a shade of light red, and she looked down at her feet. “Well, they’re doing this gala next week, and I was-“ she began to say when Mako burst out of the locker room.

“Hey sorry!  I didn’t realize what time it was until I put my stuff away.  If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss that meeting with your dad before the reservation,” he said as he jogged over to me, kissing my cheek as he reached me.

I looked at my phone.  _Shit!  We gotta run!_  I looked at Korra. “I’m sorry, but we have to go.  I’ll call you tonight, and you can ask me again.  I’m sorry!” I said as I grabbed Mako’s hand and began to run towards the front doors and towards my car.  But it bothered me, _A LOT actually,_ that Mako interrupted our conversation.  I could only hope that Korra would ask me again when I called her later tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ask, and you shall receive! Thank you armistice115 for the inital suggestion and to everyone else who voted in confidence for a similar scene. I hope I did everyone justice with the scene. Up next: Mako meets Dad, and gala galore!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet


	5. Surprise Mako!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako meets Hiroshi, and Asami reveals her surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Soccet here, and I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH! This fic has over 1000 views, and every time I see something new, I can't help myself but to start squealing. All your comments are read and taken into consideration when writing this fic because you guys come up with some great ideas to incorporate. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read and enjoy this fic!

Dad’s main factory wasn’t far from the school, but we were still rushing.  Spending so many days driving alone had allowed me to memorize Republic City’s streets like the back of my hand.  I sped through, taking tight turn after tight turn in an effort to dodge most of the traffic on the way to the factory.  I looked at the clock on the dash.  _4:45pm.  Shit.  Hopefully Dad doesn’t talk our ears off during this._ I quickly pulled into the parking lot next to the factory, parking it and turning my car off.  It was then that I finally looked over at Mako and tried my hardest not to bust out laughing.

He sat in the passenger’s seat gripping the door grip as hard as he could, a panic look full blast on his face.  When he finally realized that we had parked, he practically threw open the door and jumped out of my car.  He looked at it then at me, the panic still there.  _Doesn’t he just look adorable?_

“Ganna be alright, Mako?” I asked, climbing out of my car and placing my index finger on my cheek as I watched him.

He looked back at my car then back at me again. “As long as we are NEVER late to something else again I will be,” he replied, slowly closing the door and backing away as if the car was going to jump alive and eat him.

I chuckled and grabbed his hand, locking my car as I dragged him inside the factory.  Dad had a bunch of factories across the four nations and in Republic City, but this was his largest one and was responsible for putting out the latest models of Satomobiles that he came up with.  It was also where his office was located.  I ran up the stairs that led to his office, passing his assistant Ms. Teria along the way.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Asami!  Your father’s on a business call right now, but he should be done in a few minutes,” she called as we continued to climb the steps.

“Thanks, Ms. Teria!” I called back, reaching the top of the stairs with Mako right behind me.

We slowed our paces to a fast walk as we approached his office.  Mako and his observant eyes watched as we past several offices before coming to Dad’s.  Hiroshi Sato was proudly displayed on the outer glass.  I leaned against the glass, hearing Dad still on the phone, as Mako adjusted his shirt and continued to try and make himself look more presentable.  I rolled my eyes as I heard my phone go off for a text.

As I was pulling my phone out, Mako asked, “So…what’s this surprise got to do with your dad?”

“If I told you that, then it wouldn’t really be a surprise, Mako,” I said as I looked at the text.  It was from Korra.

**Korra:  Hey, did you guys make it there alright?  You were in a hurry to leave, and I wanted to make sure you guys didn’t get into any trouble on the way over.**

_She really is too thoughtful._ I smiled at the consideration, setting my bag down on the ground.

**Me: Yeah, just waiting on him to finish with a business call.  I’m sorry we rushed out like that.  What was it that you wanted to ask me?**

Mako shifted in his spot as we continued to wait on Dad. “Not nervous are you?” I asked.

His cheeks turned pink, and he looked at his hands. “N-no!  W-why would I b-be?” he said, not very convincingly.  _He’s so cute when he’s nervous.  But not as…stop right there, Asami.  Stop.  Right.  There._

**Korra:  Well, there’s a gala that’s coming up next week.**

I was in the midst of reading Korra’s last text when Dad finally opened his door, his call having finally ended. “Asami!  Sorry about that; we’ve got a new client, and I was just going over some specifics with the gentleman,” he said as he pulled me into a hug.  He looked Mako up and down before stepping out of the doorway. “Come in, come in.”

I smiled at Mako. “Go on in; I need to text Korra back real quick.”

He nodded and followed Dad inside his office.  I looked back at my phone.

**Me:  Yeah, I heard about it.  All for you too!  Dad was invited, and he insisted Mako and I go.  I gotta go right now; I’ll text you back when I get home tonight!**

I put my phone back in my bag and walked into Dad’s office, closing the door behind me.  Mako had taken one of the seats that sat in front of Dad’s ivory desk.  As I walked closer, I could see that Dad was still Dad; papers and contracts were all over his desk in his “organizational system”.  _Yeah, right.  More like occupational mess, Dad._ I sat in the open seat next to Mako and sat my bag down beside me.

“So, you’re the infamous Mako.  Asami’s told me much about you, son,” Dad said, leaning forward on his elbows as he watched Mako.

Mako squirmed a little in his seat. “She…she has?” he asked in a soft voice.  _SO.  ADORABLE._

Dad smiled. “No need to be nervous, son.  After all, it’s been nothing but good things.  Also, she let slip that you’re a bender on RCHS’s bending team.”

Mako nodded. “Yeah, but only on the junior varsity team.”

I smiled as Dad leaned back in his chair.  _Surprise time it is._

“That’s perfectly fine, Mako.  I keep up with the bending scene, and I know that each competing school can bring as many teams to the championships as they can afford.  Am I correct?” Dad asked, clasping his hands on his lap.

Mako nodded. “Yes, sir.  RCHS only has enough money each year to send one team, so that’s why we have a junior varsity and a varsity team.”

_Get on with it, Dad._ “Well, son, do you want to know something?”  Mako nodded, his attention fully on Dad.  Dad smiled as he continued. “When I was just a little older than you, a kind man gave me the chance of a lifetime.  He invested into my ideas, and now Future Industries and the Satomobiles are a reality.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled. “Dad, come on now.  We still have to get ready for our dinner date tonight; go ahead and tell him already.”

Mako looked back and forth at us. “Tell me what?” he asked.

Dad smiled. “Well, Asami told me about your predicament and how much everyone has been training hard this season.  So, I’ve decided to sponsor RCHS to help everyone get their chance to participate at the Championship this year.”

I quickly whipped my phone back out, turning the camera on in time to catch a photo of Mako’s dropped jaw.  He stared at Dad with that expression for the next minute before finally comprehending what was being offered. “Are you…are you serious?!” he asked, jumping out of his chair.

“Yes.  I’ve even got new uniforms ready for you with the Future Industries logo on it to represent the sponsorship,” Dad said, smiling at Mako’s bewilderment.

Mako smiled that wide smile of his. “Thank you!  Thank you so much, Mr. Sato!  You won’t regret this!” he said as he pulled me out of my seat, picking me up and spinning me around.

I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck.  As he sat back down, I leaned back. “Nice surprise?” I asked with a smile.

“The best!” he answered, leaning forward and planting a kiss on my lips.

The kiss caught me by surprise, but I happily returned it.  _His lips are so soft._ It wasn’t until Dad cleared his throat did we realize how long the kiss was.  Both of us turned a deep shade of red as Dad laughed.

“Ah, young love.  Now, if I am not mistaken, you have a dinner date to attend,” he said as he walked over to me.

I smiled, wrapping my arms around him as we hugged. “Thanks so much, Dad.”

He smiled before turning his attention to Mako.  He held his hand out, which Mako quickly shook.

“Thank you very much for the opportunity, Mr. Sato.  I promise; we won’t let you down,” Mako said, another smile appearing as his free arm wrapped around my waist.

Dad smiled. “I know you won’t, young man.  Now go before you’re late,” he said, releasing Mako’s hand.

I couldn’t stop smiling, not throughout dinner nor through the romantic carriage ride afterwards.  Everything was falling into place, and it just felt so right.  _This is just so…so right._

* * *

 

It was late when I finally flopped down on my bed that night, still buzzing from my date with Mako.  I reached over to the alarm clock, making sure that the alarm wasn’t on to ungodly wake me up tomorrow morning.  _Yay for the weekends.  They are bless incarnate._ As soon as I was done, I reached down into my bag, searching for my phone.  It took a minute of pushing loose supplies out of the way before I finally found it.  I only had a few texts received:  one from Korra, three from Opal, two from Zhu Li, and one from Mako.  I smiled and read Opal’s texts first.

**Opal:  Ok, so right now you’re probably telling Mako that damn surprise, so I better hear about it later tonight!**

**Opal:  Where are you?! Surprise now!**

**Opal:  I will haunt you for the rest of your life if you don’t tell me that goddamn surprise, Sato!**

I laughed at how “threatening” she got with her texts as she made her demands.  _Hmm.  I wonder if I should wait a day and see how crazy it drives her._ I shook my head and smile.  _No, that’d just be a death sentence for me._

**Me:  Calm down, Opal.  The surprise was that I got Dad to sponsor the school, so that everyone could go compete in the Championship!**

Next, I read the texts from Zhu Li.

**Zhu Li:  Please answer Opal’s texts.  She’s about as annoying with surprises as Varrick is in general.**

**Zhu Li:  Also, did you hear about those strange crimes that have been going on lately?**

That caught my attention.  I reached over for my Cabbagetop, texting Zhu Li while I waited for it to start up.

**Me:  Just texted her back.  No I haven’t; what crimes?**

I was getting ready to read the one text from Mako when Opal’s text came in.

**Opal:  What, really?!  That’s so awesome, Asami!!!!!**

I smiled, texting her back as the log in screen of my Cabbagetop popped up.

**Me:  I know right?  I have proof of Mako’s surprise too.**

I entered the password to my Cabbagetop and leaned back as it loaded my settings.  Once it finished loading, I clicked on the icon to the Cabbagenet when I heard my phone go off for another text from Opal.

**Opal:  LET ME SEE IT NOW NEED TO SEE IT PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE**

I laughed, sending her the picture.  I sat my phone down after it sent and typed in the search engine:  _mystery crimes Republic City_.  There were so many “mystery crimes” that came up that it was hard to tell which ones Zhu Li had mentioned, and I was still waiting on her to text me back.  I was starting to get annoyed at the mention of an obviously made up fairy tale came up for the fifth time when I finally decided to look at Mako’s text.

**Mako:  Hey, I just wanted to say thanks again for the surprise tonight.  I really appreciate that you and your dad want to help us get a chance to fight for the championship.  The dinner was great too ;)**

I laughed when I saw the emoji.  _He can be SO goddamn cute sometimes._

**Me:  I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I agree. Dinner went extremely well.**

The only text that I hadn’t read Korra’s.  Unfortunately, it’d have to wait longer to answer as a text from Opal and Zhu Li rang in.  I rolled my eyes and opened Opal’s text first.

**Opal:  Not shitting you, just laughed like a crazy maniac for the past ten minutes after that picture.  Mom came in to see if I was still alive.**

I smiled.  _Of course, she’d think that it was THAT funny when it was just a chuckle of a photo._

**Me:  You’re crazy.**

I then looked at Zhu Li’s text.

**Zhu Li:  People have been reporting chi blockers attacking benders.  Those benders later reported that someone had taken their bending away.  Permanently.**

I stared wide eyed at Zhu Li’s text.  _Their bending…taken away permanently?  How was that even possible?_ I shook my head.  _That couldn’t be possible…could it?_

**Me:  How is that even possible?**

I looked back my Cabbagetop and typed in: _chi blockers Republic City_.  The amount of articles was surprising.  Most of them were conspiracy sites as to why the crimes were happening, but the one article I saw that actually looked to be genuine I clicked on.

**_Chi Blockers and Disappearing Bending_ ** _by Alicia Numani_

_In recent months, crimes against benders has been on the rise with numerous recently reporting chi blockers as the main antagonists.  In the past month alone, seven benders have reported attacks made by chi blockers, but that is not all:  they report that the leader of these chi blockers has the ability to take one’s bending away._

_When asked to comment on the latest string of crimes involving the chi blockers, Chief of Police Lin Beifong had no comment.  Story will update with more information._

To read the small article was unsettling.  By the sounds of it, these attacks were gaining steam, and they were targeting benders specifically.  _Mako, Bolin…Korra…they could all be targets._ I shook my head.  I couldn’t focus on that.  I knew better than anyone that those three could take care of themselves.  I leaned back against my bed frame when I realized I hadn’t read Korra’s text yet.  I grabbed my phone, opening the text.

**Korra:  Hope everything went ok.  I’m glad you’re going!  I’m heading to bed early tonight, so I’ll text you whenever I wake up.**

As I read the text, I couldn’t help but feel as if something was off with it.  _It’s like I know that she’s not telling me the full truth._ I put my phone on its charger and closed my Cabbagetop, setting it on the nightstand.  I turned my light off and laid back on my bed, staring at my dark ceiling.  Between the weird feeling about Korra’s text and my thoughts about those chi blockers, I figured that sleep wasn’t going to come easy to me tonight.  I was wrong of course; I was out like a light when my eyes closed, though I couldn’t help as my brain strayed away at one last thought.  _I hope those chi blockers don’t go after Korra._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so there are some updates that I wanted to leave for the end of this chapter. As you can see, I updated a day early. This chapter had already been written when I uploaded Chapter 4, but there's also another reason why.
> 
> Saturday I leave and will be away until July 18th due to military commitments. So, for right now, I have a lot of free time as I spend the free time I have before Saturday to hang out with friends and family and write for you lovely people. Don't worry though; I'm sure I'll have all sorts of ideas for this fic to write about when I come back. So, it's my plan to release a new chapter each day, even Saturday morning because nerves and all.
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading this fic. I keep saying how much I love seeing new people enjoy it, but it literally doesn't even start to explain how happy you guys leave me when I see all these comments, kudos, and such.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet
> 
> Oh, and apparently Asami has some words for you.  
> \---
> 
> Hey all!!
> 
> I'm glad you guys are enjoying my crazy, weird life. From now on, with permission from Soccet, I'll be replying to some of the comments left on this fic! I enjoy reading them just as much as Soccet does, but I feel they need a proper response. Also, keep Soccet in your minds for when they leave; I'm going to miss them so much.
> 
> Love you all!  
> Asami <3


	6. Let's Dance!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gala time for the Krew!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are great! Thank you so much for reading and for all the kudos, comments, and the like!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet

The great end of the week transferred into a calm weekend, which suited me just fine.  It gave me time to look over the many schematics that I had on my desk, all calling my name to be updated.  One of which was belonged to the project I had started in shop.  The project itself was a retractable shield of my own making.  I intended to make it able to withstand firebending, earthbending, and waterbending attacks.  Knowing the kind of people that liked to gather in Republic City, it was better safe than sorry.  The prototype was in its development stages at the Shop, and problems had already arisen in the firebending protection.  Of course, being me, I spent the entire weekend working on the changes before I was finally satisfied.

The weekend turned into Monday, where the first thing Mako did was announce to the bending teams that he was sponsoring RCHS for the Championship.  The cheering that erupted could have busted an ear drum if the acoustics in the arena weren’t shitty.  Even Kuvira was impressed.  Once the excitement had finally calmed down, she announced that because of these new developments, changes were to be made immediately in regards to the teams.  The only change that was made, though, was that Korra became the waterbender for the former junior varsity team.  No one was surprised to say the least, though Hasook made it clear that he wasn’t happy.  _Should’ve actually put effort into it then._

Speaking of Korra, I had begun to notice that she wasn’t acting herself.  I didn’t know how to explain it; she just seemed…off.  No one else seemed to notice it, not even Opal, who’s usually good at reading people’s emotions.  I noticed the small things:  she would eat slower when she sat with us; when Mako was around, her face dipped into a slight disappointment; and when they practiced, her focus was slightly off.  I tried asking her what was wrong, but there was never a time where a straight answer could come out.  Someone or something was always interrupting her, pulling me to the side, or something along the lines.  And frankly, it was pissing me off.  _Like couldn’t the universe give us a few minutes to talk about this?  Seriously?_

Monday turned into Friday, the day of the gala in honor of Korra.  As the week had gone on, I learned more and more about the gala itself.  Mr. Arlin had been busy since his first day as our Statistics teacher.  He was extremely vocal in regards to the community, even helping to run a new task force that was in charge of hunting down the chi blockers and their mysterious leader, Amon.  I had found out that the day after Mr. Arlin had called Korra to his office to ask her to join the task force as the Avatar, the gala was announced to honor her.  This worried me greatly.  _She’s not just the Avatar, but she’s a student.  She’s not even a legal adult, yet.  Why would Mr. Arlin be pushing so hard for her to join?  Is he trying to get her hurt?_

I had voiced my concerns to Dad, but he was all in support of this new task force. “Amon and his people, these Equalists, are hurting people.  People like Mako and your friend Korra, Asami.  They must be stopped,” he had said, a smile on his face trying to reassure me.  Only it did the opposite.  It made me worry that much more about my friends.

I sat at my desk, my dress for the gala already on, as I stared at my Cabbagetop.  Articles upon articles about Amon’s Equalist army were up on my screen.  They were gaining steam against the benders of the city, and the city’s council was having a hard time battling them.  It was becoming a dangerous place to be a bender in the city, which worried me more and more.  _They could attack any of us, even Korra.  They could take her bending away._ I bit my lip, closing my Cabbagetop when I heard footsteps coming towards my room.

As I stood, trying to do something other than worry about the Equalist army, Mako walked in, dressed quite well in the clothes I had helped him pick out.  He smiled when he saw me standing by the mirror.  I couldn’t help but smile back.  _He always looks so sharp.  God, he’s such a good catch._ As if reading my mind, Mako posed a little.

“What do you think?” he asked, turning so that I could see his back.

I chuckled. “Very handsome.  Do you know if my Dad is ready to go?”

He nodded. “Went to go have the limo pulled up front.  It was nice of him to invite Bolin and Opal as well.  Have you noticed that they’ve been hanging out more and more recently?”

I went over to my jewelry box, opening it and pulling out one of the chains.  _Perfect._ “Have they?  I seemed to have missed it.  Do you think they make a good couple?” I asked, feigning innocence.

Mako leaned against the dresser, watching me put on my necklace. “Yeah, and they actually do.  I didn’t think Bolin was Opal’s type, but they’re like…two peas in a pod.” _Don’t laugh…don’t laugh…don’t laugh._

Thankfully, I managed to hold in my laugh and keep my composure.  I looked at myself one more time before grabbing his hand and leading him downstairs. “Who would’ve thought huh?” I said, smiling as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

* * *

The gala was packed with important people from around Republic City and the four nations.  To see some of these dresses suddenly made me feel quite underdressed for the event.  I walked in, arm linked with Mako’s, with Dad leading the way and Bolin and Opal right behind us.  Bolin was dressed in a similar style to Mako only with a green theme.  After being invited to the gala, Opal had gone straight to her mom, Suyin to get help picking out a dress, and boy did Su have taste.  The best way to explain her dress was that it made her look like an elegant emerald; it was a jaw dropping dress.  _Seriously; I need to start asking Su more on her opinions for dresses.  Opal always seems to one up me._

“Wow,” I heard Bolin say from behind me. “This is amazing. “

As we continued to walk through the crowds of people, my eyes began to search.  Those blue eyes were bound to show up if I searched hard enough.  _Where is she?  This is all for her, so she’s got to be here somewhere._ Five minutes had passed as I continued to allow Mako to lead me around, following Dad as he spoke to some of his acquaintances, my eyes searching for Korra.

“And let me introduce you to Hiroshi Sato, one of the greats innovators that Republic City has to offer,” I heard Mr. Arlin say, bringing my attention to him.

It was then that I saw her.  The dress was obviously a traditional Water Tribe make, but damn it did look stunning on her.  _She looks like a princess in that dress; it’s so…her._ Her hair, which usually hung in a style she called wolf tails, was pulled back into a bun.  She looked annoyed, _I wonder how many introductions she’s had to go through tonight at this gala_ , but that goofy, cute smile made an appearance when she noticed me.

“Asami!” she said, walking over to me.

I met her halfway, pulling her into a hug.  _Damn.  She smelled really nice._ “Hey Korra,” I said, leaning back. “That dress looks good on you.”

That earned a blush and a soft smile.  _Again.  That weird feeling whenever she does that smile.  Ugh, I need to stop._ “Thanks.  Yours looks amazing,” she said as we let go of each other.

We shared a nice moment of silence before Bolin practically ran over to us. “Korra!” he shouted, practically barreling into her.  _God, Bolin, you’re at a gala!_

I rolled my eyes as Bolin pulled Korra away with Opal in tow.  Korra looked at me over her shoulder, offering an apologetic apology as they walked towards the refreshments.  I felt an arm around my waist, looking over my own shoulder to find Mako standing behind me.  I smiled and leaned against him.

“Want to dance?” he asked, stepping to the side so that I could see the not-as-crowded dance floor.

I smiled. “Sure, but only if you can keep up with me.”

I grabbed his hand and led him out onto the dance floor.  It wasn’t a terribly fast song, but it wasn’t too slow.  My hand on his shoulder and his on my waist, we began to dance.  It took us a bit to adjust, but eventually I could tell when he decided to let me lead.  _Not bad.  Now if only…_ Then the song changed into a faster tempo.  _Perfect._

I smiled at Mako, picking up the side of my dress so that I wasn’t going to trip as we danced.  Hand in hand, I led Mako around to a faster dance, a smile on both of our faces.  _Not too bad, Mako._ I laughed as I suddenly changed direction on him, but it still didn’t phase him as he quickly adjusted.  We danced from one end of the floor to the other, some of the couples moving out of the way as they noticed how in sync we were with the music.  I laughed again when Mako changed the direction on me for a change, but he was unable to deter me as I adjusted with the spin.  We traded spins back and forth, and it was fun to watch Mako try his hardest to keep up with my dancing background.

The fun song came to end, transitioning into a slow dance.  I smiled as I wrapped my arms around Mako’s neck, his arms sliding around my waist to pull me closer.  I laid my head against his chest, a sigh of content escaping my lips.  _God this is just…perfect._ I smiled, opening my eyes slightly as Mako adjusted us so that an incoming couple wouldn’t bump into us.  And that’s when I saw them.

Korra was by the refreshments, seated at a table, but no Bolin or Opal around.  A quick look around, and I found those two dancing not too far away from us.  I looked back towards Korra and saw that a guy was with her, a drink in both their hands and laughing at something the guy had said.  A flare of fire erupted inside me.  _Who the hell was this guy?_ The guy was tall and lean; his beard was short and trimmed.  I could see Korra say something, and the guy laughed, leaning closer to her.  He said something back, and that smile, _the smile she would give only to me_ , appeared on her face.

I shook my head as frustration started to build up.  _She just probably met a new friend here, someone she can relate to maybe._ I tried to focus on dancing with Mako as the dance changed to a slightly faster tempo, but my mind wouldn’t leave Korra.  I’d look over every once in a while, and they were still together at the table, laughing and talking to one another.  I shook my head again after the fifth time.  _Why am I so angry about this?  There’s no reason to be this angry, especially over some guy._

The anger never subsided though, and only to seem to grow when the gala had ended.  By the end, Mr. Arlin had managed to trick Korra into joining the new task force to help stop Amon.  I could see by her reaction that she didn’t want to be a part of it.  _She shouldn’t be a part of it!  She’s a student for Spirit’s sake!_ But when I tried to talk to her afterwards, the guy beat me to her.  I had to stand off to the side, watching them as they left the gala together.  The fire inside me never died; there was something about this guy that my instincts told me wasn’t right.  _He’s not right for her.  Something tells me he’s going to hurt her, but I won’t let him._

* * *

The new guy never left Korra’s side after the gala, and I never stopped believing that he was up to something to hurt her.  She starting dating Leu, _weird ass name to match the weird ass feeling I had_ , a month after the gala.  He wasn’t the only change that came into her life after the gala, just the one that pissed me off the most, _for no reason I may add other than that weird something’s-wrong feeling I had about him._

Since Mr. Arlin managed to trick Korra into working with the task force, she had been going on dangerous assignments with them to stop the chi blockers.  More than once, she would come to school with fresh new bruises on her arms and neck from their attacks.  If her behavior before the gala was weird, now it was beginning to get scary.  Everyone began to notice how it was affecting her; Kuvira even began to voice how she needed to take a break from practices so that she could get enough rest for school.  Korra, of course, objected to the suggestion.

“Championships are coming up, and I need to be ready to go.  I promise, I’ll be at my best,” she had said, a smile on her face, but not the smile I was looking, _hoping_ , for.

It was until days later that I was able to finally have a real conversation with her.  The first real conversation we could have since before the gala.  Bolin, Korra, and I had been released from math early due to Mr. Arlin having to leave to a matter in regards to the task force.  Bolin had decided to take advantage of the early release to run to the local store for a snack before practice, while Korra and I headed towards the arena.  Our walk was a slow one, and all the new changes that had started to appear after the gala were becoming more prevalent.  She didn’t smile as often, the bruises were starting to appear more and more.  She looked like a ghost of herself.

“Korra, is everything ok?” I asked.

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at me, smiling a small smile.  _It was a miniature version of the one she usually gave me.  God this is horrible seeing her like this._ “Yeah, I’m fine, Asami.  Just…a lot on my plate, ya know?”

We continued to walk in silence until I spoke up again. “Korra, I’m worried.”

She looked at me confused. “About what?”

I grabbed her hand to and stopped, causing her to stop with us. “About you.  All these late night assignments with the task force.  This Leu guy.  You haven’t been the same since the gala, and it’s really worrying me.”

She looked at me for a minute before pulling me into a hug. “I’m ok, Asami.  I promise, if this becomes too much, you’ll be the first one to know.  Ok?” she whispered.

I sighed, hugging her tight. “You better.”

At practice, she was more of her energetic self.  She laughed a little more like her old self.  It felt as though the old Korra was back with us, even if it was for a short time.  Even as I watched her leave, I felt as though it wouldn’t be the last time I’d see our Korra again.  _I hate this gloomy side of Korra._ I clenched my fists.  _And to hell would I continue to let her suffer like this._ I made Korra a silent promise as I walked to my car.  I was going help her get through this, and nothing was going to stop me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asami here! For your information, I was NOT jealous. I was just worried for my best friend. I mean come on; he was a stranger she met at the gala! And of course I have mad dance skills. I've been dancing since I was eight, so I've got ten years of experience under my belt. 
> 
> Oh, and apparently another one of my awesome skills will be making an appearance soon...hopefully it's not the one I'm thinking of. I need to talk to her about that. See you next time!
> 
> Asami <3


	7. Where are thou, Bolin?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bolin's gone missing, and it's up to Korra, Mako, and Asami to find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for this late chapter; I was overly exhausted yesterday after spending the previous day/night with friends to celebrate my last day with them for a while. Also, for those of you who have enjoyed the Masami, enjoy it while it lasts. We will start to shift out of it within the next couple chapters.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet
> 
> Oh, and follow me on Tumblr for all the Korrasami and other things I'm absolutely in love with: http://libs1317.tumblr.com/

Two weeks passed by, and I swear it was a scary two weeks.  Arlin’s task force, with Korra’s help, had managed to quell some of the Equalist attacks, but more non-benders were joining the cause each day.  It was getting to the point where the influence was hitting RCHS; more non-bending students were fighting with students who could bend.  Mako and Bolin had been pulled into a few of those fights, but I had been able to help break the fights up with Opal.  I could deal with breaking up the fights, with having to ignore the insults they threw at Opal and I.  What I couldn’t deal with was when a group of them decided to kidnap Zolt, his crew, and Bolin.

Bolin was at the wrong place at the wrong time when Equalist sympathizers at the school ambushed them.  Mako had been at work, I in the workshop behind my house working on the bending-resistant shield.  The first step in creating the shield was to make it out of platinum, the purest of metals that couldn’t be bent by metalbending it.  The form was starting to take shape, but it was going to take several sessions to get it to the weight I wanted it to be for my Satomobile.  That was when my phone rang.

I had my ringtone on high just in case Dad had called.  When I heard the first notes, I turned off the plasma torch, setting it on the bench before taking my gloves off.  I took my mask off and wiped my face with my towel with one hand, picking up my phone with the other.

“Hello?” I asked after hitting the send button.

“Asami, it’s Mako.  Bolin’s in trouble,” he said.  _He sounds out of breath._

I set my towel down. “What happened?”

I could hear Mako pacing in the background. “He had a tutoring session today after school and was supposed to be back around 6.  When he didn’t get in around 6:30, I called the guy he had been tutoring, Reain.  Reain said that he had left straight after the tutoring session and hadn’t mentioned anything special happening.” A pause followed as I heard Mako switch ears. “I got to the school, and Chief Beifong was there.  Bolin, Zolt, and Zolt’s friends got picked up by some of the Equalist sympathizers.”

I covered my mouth.  _Not Bolin._ “Did you call Opal?” I asked, quickly leaving the workshop.

“No.  I’m…I’m scared and worried, Asami.  If they take them back to Amon, he’ll-“ Mako started to say before I interrupted him.

“They are NOT going to take his bending away, Mako.  We won’t let them ok?  Where are you?” I asked, heading inside the house and quickly up the stairs to my room.

“The police station,” he replied.

I put him on speaker phone as I changed out of my clothes. “Ok.  I’m going to call Korra, and we’ll meet you down at the station.  We’ll find Bolin, ok?” I asked, pulling on my favorite jacket that had the Future Industries logo on the shoulders.

“Ok.  Please hurry,” he said, almost pleadingly as he hung up.

I turned the speaker phone off and called Korra as I left my room.  It took three rings before she answered. “Hello?” she asked.

“Korra, it’s Asami.  We have a problem.  Bolin, Zolt, and Zolt’s crew were kidnapped earlier today,” I said as I looked around for my wallet.  _Just one more thing.  Where were they?_

I heard a chair squeak back over the phone.  _She must be home._ “Do the police have an idea of who’s behind the kidnapping?” she asked, but I had a feeling she already knew who the culprits were.

“The Equalists,” I confirmed.  I went into the hallway.  _There they are._

I heard Korra hiss over the phone. “I’ll call Arlin, see if he can get the task force to help.”

“Ok.  I’ll be over to your house in a few minutes.  We’re going to meet Mako at the police station,” I said as I left the house through the side door.

“Ok, I’ll see you-wait a minute.  How are you getting here?” she asked, causing me to smile. 

* * *

 

When Darvy, Dad’s lead mechanic, had arrived at the beginning of the week, all he could do was shake his head. “You’re your father’s daughter, you know that?” he asked with a smile on his face.

A few minutes after ending my call with Korra, I kept my promise and pulled my new customized Satomobile up in front of her house.  She was currently staying with one of the council members, Tenzin Brieze, his family, and the Air Nomads on Air Temple Island.  White Lotus sentries looked at me funny but allowed me to pass through.  I had caught a ferry large enough to hold my Satomobile, _no way in hell was I going to allow it too far out of my sight_ , and trudged my way up the stairs to the main part of the island.  It was here that I was met by Tenzin’s three children. 

“Korra’s inside talking with Dad,” Jinora, the oldest, said as they walked with me.  She pointed over to the building, indicating where Korra was.  I nodded my thanks and picked up my pace.

When we walked into the building, which led into a dining room area, Korra and Tenzin were by the windows, clearly arguing.  As I walked into the room, Korra turned her head towards the children and I, her face lighting up at the sight of me.  _She’s…she’s that happy to see me?  Not even Mako smiles like that to me when he sees me._ I smiled as we met halfway through the room in a hug.

I leaned back slightly. “Ready?  We still have to go get Mako, and hopefully they’ll have more information about the kidnapping.”

Korra nodded, Naga coming up beside her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I thought Naga would be a great help because of her tracking skills,” she said, a slight blush on her cheeks.

I smiled. “Any help is appreciated, Korra.  Even from Naga.” Naga barked in agreement.

As we were about to leave, Tenzin finally spoke up. “Korra, remember what I said,” he said as we stopped at the door.

Korra nodded at him. “I will, Tenzin.”

It was a quiet, focused walked back to the ferry.  The children elected to stay back as we left, so it just left Korra, Naga, and I.  Naga, excited for a trip off the island, jumped around as she circled us during the walk.  I snuck a quick look over to Korra and was surprised to see her this focused already.  I smiled to myself.  _I can tell just by looking at her face for a quick instant what her friends mean to her._

“What’s got you happy?” Korra asked.

I stuttered.  _Shit, she caught me.  Again.  Shit._ “Oh…uh…sorry, I was uh…thinking about my surprise for you,” I said, quickly reminding myself about my Satomobile.

She raised her eyebrow. “Oh?”

I smiled, and as we got closer, Korra realized what the surprise.  She ran ahead of me over to my Satombolie and walked around it.  Her eyes were full in admiration.  Naga too stared wide-eyed at the vehicle, her tail wagging fiercely back and forth.  As I climbed onto the ferry, Korra whistled.

“Wow.  She’s a goddamn beauty.  You designed her yourself?” she asked, turning her attention to me.

I nodded then looked at the captain of the ferry, giving him the thumbs up to leave. “It took a couple months and a lot of extra time from my dad’s lead mechanic, but it was well worth it.  I assume you like it?”

“I love it.  It’s so…so you,” she said as she ran her hand across the hood.  She looked up at me, smiling that smile, my face started to feel very warm.

I smiled back, opening up the driver’s side door.  Naga took advantage of my slow reaction time, _courtesy of that oh so cute smile…shit…again_ , and leapt inside to the back seat.  She smiled her doggy smile at us as if to say she had claimed her seat.  We looked at her then at each other before laughing.

“She’s as goofy as you are,” I told Korra as I climbed into the car.

She smiled, _with what looked like a slight blush on top of it_ , as she climbed in on the passenger side. “I swear I don’t know who she gets it from.”

I rolled my eyes. “Uh huh.  Right.”

The ferry came to a slow stop to the docks as a grabbed my goggles.  Korra looked at me as I put them on, resting them on the top of my head.  I shrugged as the ramp to the ferry lowered. “Never know,” I said as I started the car, slowly moving it down the ramp.

Going through the docks, I had to be careful so as to not hit anyone, but once I hit the road, there was no need to be slow.  In the old bug, I would’ve made questioned how fast to take her, which turns she would be able to handle taking tightly.  In my new girl, that wasn’t the case.  I knew how well she could take the turns, how fast I could handle her.  _I’m such a god damn genius_.  We were rocketing down the streets, avoiding most of the evening traffic.  My baby handled like a dream with tight turns, and Korra was enjoying the adrenaline that came with every turn.  I smiled.  _She’s such a better passenger than Mako is; he probably will shit himself if I drive like this with him in the car.  But it’s so god damn fun with her…shit.  WHY CAN’T I JUST STOP THINKING THIS WAY FOR ONCE?!_  I shook my head at the internal monologue as I pulled up to the police station.

“Everything ok?” Korra asked, leaning against the door as she looked at me.

I nodded, getting out of my car. “Yeah, just worried.”

Korra followed, holding up her hand to Naga. “Stay,” she said to her before turning her attention to me. “We’ll find him, Asami.  Go grab Bolin; I’m going to see if Arlin’s in the task room.”

I nodded, and we walked inside the police station, separating at the intersection.  I went left towards the Chief of Police’s office; Korra went to the right towards the task force’s room.  The Chief’s office was at the end of the hall, and I saw Mako sitting in one of the chairs, his head was in his hands.  _Spirits, I hate seeing him like this._ “Mako!” I called out to him.

He looked up, his eyes red.  He stood up as I ran to him, his arms reaching out to me.  I ran into them, hugging him tightly.  _Spirits, I HATE seeing him like this._ We stood there for what felt like an eternity before finally pulling back.  He wiped his tearless eyes. “Sorry,” he said softly.

“Don’t be.  We’ll find him, Mako,” I said, leaning up and kissing him softly.

He returned the kiss, nodding as we hugged again.  He looked around. “Where’s Korra?  I thought you said you were going to go get her,” he asked as he released me from the hug.

“She’s went to see Arlin, maybe to get help from the task force,” I said, taking his hand and leading him back down the hall towards the task room.

Mako nodded, squeezing my hand as we picked up our pace.  We got closer to the intersection where Korra and I had split off when we saw Korra sprinting towards us.  The anger radiating off her already told us what Arlin’s “help” was going to do.  To see Korra this upset made me pissed off at Arlin for her.  _And where was this task force when it was needed the most?  Useless._

“They’re not going to help us?” Mako asked, the disappointment by the turn of the events hanging heavy on his voice.

Korra shook her head. “’Not enough info to go on.’  That doesn’t mean I’m going to give up, Mako.  We’re going to find Bolin and the others.  I swear to you as the Avatar that we will find them and rescue them.”

As Korra and Mako started to talk about places that they could search, my mind started to drift off in my own thoughts of possibilities.  Then it hit me.  _Of course!_ I smiled, grabbing Mako and Korra’s hands as I began to drag them to my Satomobile.

“Asami!  What are you doing?” Korra asked, changing her pace to catch up with me.

I smiled at them as we got to the car. “I think I have an idea of someone who could help us.”

* * *

 

We stood by my car, watching Equalist supporters walking to an old factory guarded by a rather large man.  He stopped them, smiling after they held up one of the Amon flyers before letting them inside the factory. 

“Glad we grabbed a few of them then,” Mako said softly as he finished putting on his disguise.

The factory was an old run down building that used to develop machines for different companies, one of which was Future Industries.  When the contractor who owned the building went missing, the company never recovered, though this was years ago.  The entire block had been a part of the company, so there were several other empty buildings that were nearby.  _Perfect for hiding a small army._ I pulled the maroon scarf up over my mouth with Korra doing the same with Mako’s scarf.

My eyes narrowed as I watched the interaction between Mako and Korra as they continued to finish putting their disguises together.  The way that they looked at each other, a smile in their eyes.  I mentally shook my head.  _Their just friends.  Nothing more.  Plus, she’s dating that Leu guy.  I’m just…being stupid for no reason.  There’s nothing there.  They’re just friends._ I was still talking to myself mentally when they walked over to me.

“Alright, let’s move,” Korra said.

We began to walk towards the large man that stood guard in front of the factory.  After picking up Mako, I had driven us to the park downtown where a scrawny man had made his display.  An Equalist supporter, the man had spent hours at the park yelling through a megaphone about how bending was an evil to the world and how Amon was there to help us make a better world.  When I saw the evil glares both Korra and Mako were shooting, I decided it was best for me to go alone to the guy.  With a little fake flirtation, I was able to get both the four flyers that made the location of the factor on the back.

“Everything’s going on there tonight,” the guy had said, a smile on his face as he continued to look me up and down.

When I returned to Korra and Mako, flyers in hand, they were busy chasing Naga around my car, trying to stop her from chasing a red ferret.  I covered my mouth, an amused smile and small laugh escaping as I watched them.   _Even when we're worried sick and someone's missing, they never cease to surprise me with their antics._  The ferret, Pabu, belonged to Bolin, and Mako was relieved to find him unharmed.  After taking a few minutes to explain, as best she could, to Naga that Pabu was NOT a snack, I explained to the two of them about the upcoming rally that was being planned, a public demonstration of how Amon was going to help bring equality to Republic City.

Now here we were, about to walk into an environment where my boyfriend and one of my closest friends were severely not welcomed.  The large man looked us over, a scowl on his face. ”Password?” he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.  _Shit.  Shit.  SHIT._

We stood there, dumbfounded, before Mako pulled out one of the flyers. “This?” he asked.

The large man took the paper, looking at it, before smiling and stepping to the side. “Welcome, brother and sisters.”

We smiled a little in thanks, a little in fear, before entering the factory.  There were so many people here, so many supporters.  By the whisper of amazement that emanated from Mako, I could tell I wasn’t the only one surprised.  We slowly made our way forward, mingling our way in with the crowd.  There was a large stage in front of the crowd, but there was no sign of Bolin or Zolt.  I began to reach blindly for Mako’s hand, finding it.  But after I wrapped my hand around the hand I had just grabbed, I realized that it wasn’t Mako’s, yet it felt comforting.

I turned to see whose hand I had grabbed, finding myself face-to-face with Korra.  I felt my cheeks run warm.  We looked at our hands before looking up at each other, our eyes meeting.  It was hard to miss the sparkle in her eyes.  _That look of hope, just hiding in the distance._ And honestly…I felt like I could just stand here with her, lost in our thoughts for forever, and feel…content.  But the universe wasn’t having any of that.

“No,” I heard Mako whisper behind me.  I whipped around, quickly letting go of Korra’s hand, thinking I had been caught.

Then I saw what Mako was really looking at.  Up on the stage was a masked man, Amon.  His introduction began, with some back story somewhere in the conversation, but my eyes were more focused on the people currently kneeling in front of the chi blockers.  Zolt.  His crew.  Bolin was the last one on the far right.  _At least he doesn’t look like they’ve hurt him._ Then my ears finally began to tune in what Amon was saying.

“Brothers and sisters, the Avatar is supposed to stand for equality, yet look at us now.  I am here to ease your pain as the Spirits have chosen me to lead you in our fight for equality.  They have given me an ability to help see our campaign succeed:  the ability to take away someone’s bending.  Permanently,” he announced, cheers erupting through everyone but Korra, Mako, and I.

I stared at the man before us on the stage, a mask covering his face.  This was…madness.  I felt my hands start to unconsciously clench into fists.  Anger began to run through my body at the thought of this man, Amon, hurting my friends.  Hurting Korra.  _To hell would you touch a god damn hair on any one of my friends.  To hell would I let you within an inch of Korra._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Asami here!
> 
> Hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter. There's only one more day with Soccet, and I'm already depressed missing her. Also: Go follow her on Tumblr! I'll remind her, once she gets back, to figure out how to post her AO3 updates on there as well so that you guys can get updates there as well :)
> 
> Asami <3


	8. One Scary Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bolin's been captured and is on the verge of having his bending taken away! Can the remaining Krew members save him before it's too late?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 2000 hits! Thank you so much for making this fic so dang popular! It's been a pleasure writing for you all, and I can't wait to continue this story.
> 
> Unfortunately, this will be the last chapter I post for a while as I leave this morning. Enjoy this last chapter from me, but know that this is NOT the last time you will be hearing from Asami and I!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet

“We need to save him!” Mako said softly to Korra and I.

I nodded, looking around. “But how?”

Korra continued to watch the stage as Zolt battled Amon to no avail.  He was the first to lose his bending. “Guys, we have to hurry,” she said as Amon moved on to the next bender.

I looked to our left, noticing the pipes that ran along the side of the building.  I elbowed Mako and pointed to the pipes.  He nodded, grabbing Korra’s arm to pull her attention away from the stage. “See those pipes?  Can you make enough steam from the water running through them to cause a distraction?” he asked, pointing to the pipes.

Korra nodded. “I need a few minutes though.”

“We’ll move closer to the stage, but you need to hurry,” I said as a third bender fell onto the stage, his bending removed.

Korra nodded, pushing past other members of the crowd as she made her way to the pipes.  I grabbed Mako’s hand and began to lead him towards the front of the crowd closest to Bolin.  We watched as Amon made his way down the line, making quick work as he took the bending from the remaining members of Zolt’s crew.  As they fell to the stage, the chi blockers quickly pulled them to their feet and removed them from the stage.  I shuddered at the thought of what they were going to do with them now.  _Please, Spirits, watch over them_.

Bolin’s turn was next.  The chi blocker behind him released him from his bindings and pushed him forward.  Bolin, obviously freaked out, held up his hands and began to plead his case to Amon in hopes of deterring him from taking his bending.  I squeezed Mako’s hand as Amon inched closer to Bolin.  _Korra, where are you?  We need that distraction now!_

**_BOOM!_ **

A loud explosion followed by a great deal of steam erupted from the pipes and began to fill the area.  _Yes!  Korra did it!_ Amon had stopped his approach towards Bolin, facing the direction of the explosion.  Suddenly, a man appeared beside him, a weird looking pack on his back with two batons sticking out of it.  There was an air of familiarity on it, something that my body wouldn’t shake as Mako and I jumped onto the stage and made our way towards Bolin.

A chi blocker grabbed Bolin, intending to capture him before he could escape, but Mako wasn’t having any of it.  He firebent a kick at the chi blocker, sending far away from us as the steam covered his flight.  It took a minute before Bolin could realize who had come to his rescue, but his eyes lit up at the sight of us.

“Asami!  Mako!  Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” he yelled, pulling me into a bear hug.

Mako grabbed his arm, causing him to release me from the hug. “Not now, Bolin.  We need to leave!”

Bolin nodded, and we ran towards the end of the stage.  Mako shouldered his way through two chi blockers as we ran out the closest door we could find.  It led to a fire escape.  I slid down first, bursting into a sprint towards my car as soon as my feet hit the ground.  The boys weren’t as lucky.

As I reached my car, Naga began to bark towards the direction of the first escape.  I turned in time to see the boys fall to the ground, the man with the strange pack on his back holding the batons in his hands.  _Fuck.  Electrified batons?  What else could these guys have!_ I jumped into my car as the boys battled the man, searching in frustration for my keys.  When I had finally found them and turned my car on, both of the boys had been knocked out, the man hovering over them.

“Pathetic.  You two should’ve just gave up in the first place,” I heard him say as he took a step closer to them.  _No!_

Suddenly, the slab of earth that was beneath him lifted, rocketing him into the wall behind him.  My mouth gaped open as a figure moved from a nearby alley. “Don’t count us out yet,” she said, and a smile rose on my face.  _Korra!_

I shifted into gear, driving the car over to them.  Korra had managed to help the boys to their feet as I pulled up. “Get in!” I shouted, nervously watching the man start to rise.

Mako was the first in, followed Bolin, when the man rose enough to look at us.  Korra looked at him, and I saw him hesitate, not in fear but in recognition.  _He knows us.  He knows who we are._ “Korra, we need to leave,” I said, grabbing her arm.

She nodded, jumping into the back seat and climbing into the front passenger seat as the man rose.  I punched the accelerator, rocketing away from the factory.  I gripped the steering wheel as hard as we raced away down the street.  It was late enough where there was no traffic, and I didn’t give two damns if the police were out.  _After that, I could care less if I got pulled over.  As long as we were away from that factory and those…those Equalists._ Once I knew we weren’t going to be followed any longer, I began to drive towards the school.  Korra looked at me puzzled.

“We can’t go back home yet.  If they have people following us silently, I don’t want to get everyone else involved,” I said, Korra nodding in agreement.

I pulled up into the parking lot and parked my car as close to the outer wall barrier.  Turning off my car, I quickly jumped out and ran over to the lawn.  My stomach had been doing summersaults all during that rescue, and finally it was catching up to me.  It was a few minutes before the heaving finally subsided, the contents of my stomach making a reappearance.  I slowly sat up, coughing hard at the burning in my throat.  I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Korra standing beside me. A bottle of water was held out to me, and I took it graciously.

“Thanks,” I said, washing my mouth out before taking a drink of it.

Korra nodded, a small smile on her lips before she turned her attention to the boys. “How are you guys doing?”

Mako rubbed the back of his neck as he joined us. “I’ll be sore later from the fall, but I think I’ll be ok.”

Bolin walked over a minute later, Pabu nestled in his arms. “Thank you so much you guys!  You saved me, and you found Pabu, and I didn’t lose my bending, and-“ he said before I waved him off.

“Bolin, it’s ok.  You don’t need to keep thanking us.  Of course we were going to come rescue you,” I said, standing up.

Korra nodded before her face took a serious turn. “But back to more important things.  Like Amon and his ability to take away people’s bending.  It’s real, and this is a serious problem.”

We all nodded in agreement.  To have that power…it was unheard of. “I thought that only the Avatar could do that,” I said.

Korra looked at the ground, clearly frustrated. “The only person in history that was able to perform such a feat was Aang.  To think that someone who isn’t the Avatar being able to do it is…is…”

“Upsetting to say the least,” Mako said, crossing his arms and closing his eyes in thought. “We need to tell the Chief.”

I nodded. “After tonight, they need to know.  His support and his army continue to grow each day, and after this, it’s only going to get worse.  He needs to be stopped.  Who knows what he’ll do to Zolt and his friends now that their bending is gone.”

We were silent for a few minutes, our thoughts heavy with what we just witnessed, when Korra finally spoke up. “I have to face him.  To stop this once and for all,” she said, looking at the three of us.

We all looked at her.  Bolin’s mouth gaped open; Mako’s eyes narrowed.  I stood there, stunned at her sudden declaration.  “What…what are you talking about, Korra?” I asked.  _Please…please don’t tell me you’re thinking about that right now.  After everything tonight, please don’t tell me you have this stupid idea in your head!_

“He wants to take me down, so I’ll give him the battle he wants.  I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt another person again. I’m going to face him and take him down,” she reaffirmed.

Mako shook his head, rubbing his temples. “Are you crazy?!  Did you not see what he did tonight to Zolt and his friends and what he almost did to Bolin?”

Korra shifted her focus to Mako. “I know, Mako, I was there.  I couldn’t stop it.  I stood there helplessly as Zolt lost his bending.  We saved Bolin, but if we had acted sooner, we could’ve saved the others too!”

I watched Korra closely, noting that her body was starting to shake in frustration.  _This is…this is weighing heavy on her.  I can feel it from here._  I continued to watch her and Mako argue for the next several minutes when I realized there was a strong pain in my chest.  _She’s my best friend, about to go up against someone who has scary crazy abilities.  Yet, why does it feel as though I’m about to lose a piece of myself?_

* * *

 

I sat in a chair, the sun rising in the distance, as the others slept.  It had been two weeks since the factory attack.  Korra had challenged Amon to a one-on-one battle at Aang’s statue.  She had left yesterday evening a strong, confident women ready to end the threat that was Amon.  When she returned, all that remained was a shadow of that woman.  She had been visibly shaken by the ordeal.  Pulling myself from my thoughts for a moment, I looked over at Korra, the scrunching of her brow catching my attention as I watched her.  She was slightly thrashing around in her sleep.   _Probably battling another nightmare._  

I sighed and looked back at the sunrise.  He had ambushed her, but she still had her bending.  _He hadn’t taken that away from her.  He hadn’t taken her away from me._ I clenched my fist above my chest.  The pain was still there but not as evident as before she left.  _She’s still with me._ I closed my eyes, my emotions running all over the place.  _Why do I keep feeling like this?  Why does she do this to me?_

A stirring drove me from my thoughts, and I turned my head to see Mako start to stand up. “Sorry, didn’t mean to disturb you,” he said softly.

We had started to drift apart, and I had begun to notice that he was starting to drift more towards Korra.  I bit the inside of my cheek at the thought of him becoming closer to her than he already was.  _Maybe it’s jealousy of what they’re starting to have together.  Maybe that’s why I have this pain.  But that wouldn’t explain why it was happening before when he and I were already close.  Damn it; why can’t I just feel normal for once!_

I nodded. “It’s ok.  I was already awake,” I said softly.

He nodded, leaving the room, and I turned my head back to look outside.  The sunrise continued, and it was gorgeous.  To have something so beautiful in a time of so much worry, so much fear, was relaxing.  I sighed as I leaned back against my chair.  _Maybe we can stop this.  Maybe we can defeat Amon._  The rustling of movement beside me drew me from my thoughts once again.

Korra had awoken and moved closer to me. “Hey.  Sorry if I bothered you,” she said softly as she sat on the desk to my left.

I shook my head, turning my attention to her.  She seemed to be battling an internal fight. “What is it, Korra?” I asked.

She looked at me for a minute before sighing. “I’ve made the decision to leave Arlin’s task force,” she said, but I could tell that it wasn’t the only thing on her mind.

“Well, good.  Maybe you’ll gain your focus back then,” I said teasingly, earning a smile from her.  _God, I miss that smile.  She doesn’t show it enough lately._

She looked down at her hands before looking back at me. “I’m going to dump Leu too.”

I was partly shocked but mostly relieved. “Why?  I thought you two got along so well,” I said, feigning innocence, but by the look she gave me, I knew she knew I was lying.

“Uh huh.  Outside of the fact that I know you give him the worst death glares I’ve seen you give a person, there’s a…more important reason why,” she said, standing straight up.

When she started to remove her shirt, I couldn’t help the rush of warmth that ran to my face.  _Oh…oh…uh…shirtless Korra…uh…fuck…she’s talking._ I tried to focus on what she was saying, but my eyes bore straight onto the new bruises that I saw on her arms and sides.  Apparently, they were the subject of the conversation as Korra sighed when she realized I was staring at the bruises.

“They’re…they’re from Leu,” she admitted softly.

I stood and walked over to her, gently placing my hand on the bruises. “How long?” I asked, not taking my eyes off them.

She fidgeted for a minute before responding. “It got…worse after the factory incident.  I don’t know why, but he gotten a lot…more aggressive.”

I pulled her into a hug, careful not to squeeze too hard.  Her arms wrapped around my waist as she hugged me back. “I’m sorry, Korra.  You don’t deserve to go through something like that,” I told her, keeping her close to me.

We stood there, holding each other closely, before a throat-clearing interrupted the moment.  I looked up to see Mako standing in the doorway, a slight blush on his cheeks.  I leaned back, Korra turning to look at him.  When she saw the blush, she quickly pulled her shirt back on.

“Uh…sorry,” Mako said softly.

Korra shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.  Was bound to come out sooner or later,” she said, a small smile on her lips.

We stood in somewhat silence, Bolin’s snoring the only source of noise out of the four of us. “So what now?” I asked, debating on when I should wake Bolin up.

Korra looked at me and smiled. “We get ready for the Championships, of course,” she said as she gently kicked Bolin awake.

I smiled and rolled my eyes.  _Just another day in the life of the Asami Sato, best friend of Avatar Korra._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Asami here.
> 
> So Soccet's leaving me for four weeks. I don't know how to feel about this; I'm going to miss her so much. Thankfully, she's leaving us with one last chapter before she goes! I'm looking forward to when she gets back so that she and I can tell you guys about the rest of my adventures with Korra.
> 
> Asami <3


	9. Knockout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Championship tournament time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys. I'm back! It was torture to not be able to write, but I'm back and I'm ready to go! Right now, I am in the process of transitioning back into my regular schedule, moving, and finding a new job, but I promise I will try and keep my writing schedule as consistent as I can. Hopefully everyone enjoys this new chapter!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13
> 
> PS: If you guys are wanting to see another fight scene, wait a few more chapters. It's already in the works for one of the matches.

Championship time rolled around the corner in no time flat.  Thanks to Dad’s financial contribution, the level of intensity during practices increased due to both teams wanting to do their best.  Both teams began to gain a larger respect for each other during the practices, and it was showing in their outside interactions as well.  It was a nice change to see.

Since Korra’s breakup with Leu, she was smiling more.  I still worry that the abusiveness has left some scars that she won’t show openly, but it’s nice to see her move around more like her old self.  She smiled, even when gossip started to circulate around the school about her relationship with Leu; she laughed even when others began to take up an anti-bending stance as Amon’s “revolution” began to pick up more steam.  She was Korra even when others wanted her to disappear.  To see her fight through this gave me hope that maybe one day life would turn out ok.

I started to spend some more time with Mako, hoping that maybe we could fix whatever was going wrong with our relationship.  We talked and agreed to give the relationship a real chance.  Having the connection back with him felt great, but I still had a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right.  I couldn’t shake it.  _Maybe it’s just me.  Maybe I’m just being paranoid again.  He hasn’t done anything to make me feel/think this way._

I was lost in my thoughts when Korra slid into the seat next to me and yelled, “ASAMI”

I smiled and rolled my eyes.  Currently, I was looking over the schematics for the shield, trying to figure out how to deploy it from the mechanisms that would be held in the front of my car. “Afternoon, Korra.”

“Ready for tonight?” she asked, stretching back against the chair.

I smiled. “Course I am.  Everyone ready to go?”

Korra smiled back. “Course we are.  First match of the tournament, and we’re going to kick some ass!”

I laughed and set my pencil down. “Just don’t let your confidence get the best of you,” I said, standing up and putting the schematic back in its tube.

Korra shrugged, standing up. “That’s where my skills come in to save the day.  So what are your plans for today?”

I grabbed my bag off the floor next to the desk and left the workshop with her. “Dinner with Mako, then Championship match with everyone.  Dad was gracious enough to get Opal and I box seats for all the matches.”

“See!  I’m not the only one who has confidence that we’ll make it to the Finals!” Korra said, a wide smile on her face.

I rolled my eyes and smiled back.  We were on our way to the last practice before the matches tonight.  All of the first seeds, which included the varsity team, were given first round byes, so only the junior varsity would be competing tonight.  The junior varsity were given a sixth seed, which was good considering how many teams had entered into the Championship.

We walked into the arena and found everyone huddled around the center of it, Opal included.  Everyone was laughing, but as to what I could only imagine.  Korra and I both looked at each other before walking over to the group.  Mako saw us first, a smile on ahis face as he opened his arms out to me.  I smiled back, walking into the awaiting hug.  He squeezed me close.

“Hey.  How was your day?” he asked, leaning back slightly

I shrugged. “Same old, same old.  Yours?”

His arms lowered so that they settled around my waist. “Boring really, but then again, I only had two things on my mind.  You and that Championship belt we’re going to win.”

“Who says you guys are going to be the ones to win it?” Acari asked.  She was the waterbender for Kuvira’s team.

“Hey, we’ve trained just as hard as you guys have!” Bolin said as he stood.  Opal sighed as the brothers moved to stand beside each other defensively.

Kuvira jumped up from her seat on the floor. “Enough.  We’ve all been training hard as hell for this tournament, and I’m not going to let any squabbles break our concentration.  Now shut up, or everyone’s going to be doing laps in the pool.”

The arguing shut down after that.  I smiled and rolled my eyes, placing a kiss on Mako’s cheek.  As I rocked back onto my feet, I saw out of the corner of my eye Korra frown.  I turned my head towards her to be met with a smile, one that I recognized easily was fake.  A slight pang rocked into my body.  _Why is she giving me that smile?  Did something happen just now that I missed?  Why does it feel like…like I should be feeling guilty about something?_ Kuvira’s announcement about practice starting broke me from my thoughts before I could continue to ponder the meaning of the pang.  Opal and I took our regular seats in the stands to watch the practice, but it still bothered me that I couldn’t place why I felt like I did when I saw that fake smile from Korra.  _Why was I feeling like this?  Why was she making me feel like this?_

* * *

 

The first match for the junior varsity, who decided to go by the Fire Ferrets while competing, went by without a hitch.  Their compatibility was there, and you could see all of their hard work from practicing pay off as they easily knocked the other team out for the win.  Opal and I were so giggly about the match that we ran down to their locker room. 

“I think that was the fastest I’ve seen them win a match ever!” Opal shouted, almost jumping up and down as we made our way down the hall towards the locker room.

I smiled and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Who knows?  Maybe you can take advantage of this excitement and finally ask that goofball out on a real date,” I said, laughing as she blushed.

“Shut up,” she replied, blush still there but a smile rising at the thought.

We entered the room and separated to our respective guys.  Bolin lifted Opal up and spun her around several times, and Mako wrapped me in a tight hug, yet I could tell something was off in the room.  I could feel the tenseness in Mako’s hug; when I looked over, I could see the pained look on Korra’s face that she so desperately was trying to hide from me.  _What the hell?_

I leaned back and looked at Mako. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Korra answered before storming out of the room.

Mako sighed and rubbed his face.  I looked at him concerned. “I’ll go talk to her,” he said, kissing my cheek and releasing me from the hug before leaving the room.

I watched him leave before turning my attention to Bolin. “What’s going on?” I asked, only to be met with a shrug.

“You got me.  Things were going great until they started talking about hanging out more,” he replied, arms still wrapped around Opal.

_Something’s not right._ “I’ll be back,” I said as I left the room and walked down the hall.

_Korra’s acting weird.  Mako’s acting weird.  What the hell happened in the five minute walk to the locker room?_ I was so lost in my thoughts that I failed to realize Kuvira’s group until I bumped into them.  I looked up at them, about to apologize, when Kuvira raised her hand.

“They went outside towards the water,” she said as if reading my mind.

I smiled a little. “Thanks Kuv.”

She smiled back before taking a step to the side for me.  I picked up my pace, almost starting to run, as I headed outside.  Night had engulfed the sky, and the stars were out to greet anyone who looked up.  I smiled at the beauty of the sky as I started my search for Korra and Mako.  _The walk home will be so romantic with this sky._

It only took me a few minutes of searching before I started to hear a shouting match between Korra and Mako.  _Of course they would be arguing again._ I increased my pace until I finally got them in sight.  They were standing on one of the docks, an overhang they were standing under providing the only light for me to see them.  When I reached the end of the dock, I saw Korra lean in towards Mako.  I stopped in my place when I saw Mako return the kiss.  _He…but I..._ I clenched my fist above my chest.

I must’ve made a noise because both of them stopped the kiss and looked at my direction.  I saw the disbelief on Mako’s face; I saw the hurt on Korra’s.  I didn’t know which one I should be hurt by more.  I shook my head and started to sprint back towards the arena.  _Dad hasn’t left yet._ Tears ran down my cheeks as I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

**Me:  Where are you parked?**

I ran back inside the arena and found Opal, Bolin, and Kuvira waiting by a nearby pillar.  Opal saw my tears and tore herself away from Bolin to meet me halfway.  She hugged me close when I got a reply from Dad.

**Dad:  I had the driver pull up front.  Whenever you’re ready.**

“What’s going on, Asami?” Opal asked, wiping the tears off my cheeks.

I shook my head and hugged her once more. “I’ll text you tonight.  I have to go now,” I choked out softly before running out to my Dad’s limo.

I had just reached the limo when I heard Mako shout my name.  I turned slowly to look at him.  He was standing next to the steps, an apologetic face on display, but I shook my head.  _How was I supposed to forgive him for showing me that he had feelings for my best friend?_ I climbed into the limo and slammed the door shut.

”Go,” I heard Dad tell the driver as he pulled me into a tight hug.  Tonight was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

I laid on my bed, my tears finally having dried, and continued to stare out my window at the skyline that was Republic City.  It was late at night, and I was the only one left awake in the house.  I didn’t want to move.  I didn’t want to talk to anyone.  I didn’t want to be here at the moment, but here I was.  _Where did I go wrong?  Why didn’t I see it sooner?  Why didn’t anyone tell me sooner?  Why did it have to happen now?_ All the whys, yet there was no answer to them. 

A text interrupted my thoughts.  I wiped the non-existent tears away from my eyes and slowly picked my phone up.  The text was from Korra.  Instead of hurt or anger, my chest filled with…happiness.  _Shouldn’t I be mad at her?  Shouldn’t I hate her?  Then why…why do I feel just a bit better knowing the text is from her?_

**Korra:  Hey.  So I don’t really know what to say outside of I’m sorry.  I just…I don’t even know if explaining how I feel will help fix the situation I’ve managed to help put myself in.  I’ll try to explain the best I can.  I’ve liked Mako since I met him.  Then you two started to date.  Then I started to date Leu, and all that shit came around.  Spirits, I feel like an ass and an idiot for kissing Mako tonight.  As soon as I saw you, I felt like the worst person on this entire planet.  I’m sorry if it’s going to be awkward for however long between us, but I just wanted to say I’m sorry and I hope we can still be friends.**

I read the text over and over again.  I could only imagine Korra just sitting on her bed typing and retyping the text.  My heart fluttered at the thought of how much time it took Korra to write out the apology, no matter how everywhere it was when it was finally sent.  _Why does she do this to me?_ I shook my head at the thought.  I slowly sat up as I read the text for what seemed like the hundredth time. 

**Me:  There’s no Asami without Korra.  You know that.  Yeah, it’s going to be awkward for a while, but we’ll get through it.**

I smiled as the text sent.  _Since I met her, there really hasn’t been an Asami without Korra._ I leaned back against my pillows and looked back out towards the skyline.  It had only been a few minutes, but it felt as if a change had come across the skyline.  I couldn’t place what it was, but somehow I felt as if it was trying to tell me that everything was going to get better.  _Maybe everything will be better._ I smiled to myself as Korra’s text came in.

**Korra:  I’ll have your back, Asami.  Through thick and thin.**

I smiled and set my phone back down.  I laid back on my bed and continued to stare out at the skyline until sleep finally overtook me.  The last thought that ran through my head was how lucky I was to have met Korra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with Soccet being back, it also means I'm back!! Leave the kudos, comments, bookmarks, and the such!
> 
> -Asami <3


	10. Apologies and Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get better after a heartbreak right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank everyone for the feedback! This story is written for you guys, so any suggestions you leave in comments will be taken into consideration. It may not appear in the story, but this story is far from being finished. As for the relationship between Korra and Asami, I wanted to include some canon-based elements, but I don't plan on sticking with it past this story.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

The weekend crawled its way through, and by Monday, everyone had found out about the kiss.  As I walked through the halls, I could hear the gossipers whisper away as they stared at me, but I wasn’t in the mindset to let them affect me.  My mother taught me to be better than that.

_I watched Mom smile as she walked us observers who were obviously talking about our current dresses.  I looked down at my dress, the dark red highlighted by light green waves._ Why would they not like this dress?  Or is it because I’m in the dress?  _I continued to ponder the stares when Mom spoke up._

_“Ignore the chatter, Asami.  They’re just jealous of you,” she said, a smile proudly on her face._

_I looked at her uncertain. “Really?” I asked, my voice soft._

_She stopped us, kneeling down and placing her soft hands gently on my cheeks. “Asami.  Don’t ever let anyone tell you something that you’re not.  You can do whatever you want.  You can be whoever you choose.  The decision is yours and yours only.  If you think you’re beautiful in that dress, then you’re the most beautiful girl to have ever worn that dress,” she said with a smile._

I smiled at Mom’s words.  _She was always right._ So I ignored the chatter that accompanied me, preferring to continue my current walk to the cafeteria where everyone was waiting on me to join them for lunch.  I sat between Korra and Opal, smiling when they offered faces of concern.

“Guys, I’m fine.  I promise,” I said, pulling out the chicken salad sandwich.

Korra continued to watch my expressions, so it was up to Opal to ask the question. “Are you sure?” she asked.

I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around their shoulders, pulling them close. “Guys, I promise if something’s bothering me, you two would be the first to know ok?”

They stared at me for a quick moment before nodding and returning to their lunch.  Soon, the boys arrived, followed by Kuvira, and lunch proceeded as it normally did.  Everyone was laughing, talking about the weekend’s tournament matches for both the junior varsity and the varsity teams, but I stayed quiet.

I sat in my seat, watching the interactions between Korra and Mako, and a pang of hurt, maybe even jealous, punched my chest.  I mentally shook my head.  _I’m not jealous.  I’m not jealous.  I’m not jealous…fuck…I’m so god damn jealous it hurts._ The laughs.  The smiles.  _Why hadn’t I seen it earlier?  Maybe then it wouldn’t have hurt as much as it does now.  Maybe I could have braced myself for it._

Not able to take it any longer, I packed up the rest of my lunch and stood up. “Sorry guys, but I need to use the restroom before we head off to class,” I said quickly as I left the table.  I didn’t want them to see the tears that were already starting to form.

Thankfully, no one was in the bathroom when I stormed in.  I found a corner and slid down, pulling my knees to my chest.  I sat there, silently crying, for what felt like a good ten minutes.  _Who was I kidding?  This shit hurt like hell.  Why them?  Why did it have to be them?_

The bathroom door opened, and I found myself looking up to meet Korra’s deep blue eyes.  She sat in front of me with her legs crossed, an apologetic smile on her face.  I looked down at my knees, not knowing what to say to that smile, the smile that was apologizing for everything that I was sad for.

“How’d I know this is what you were really coming in here to do?” she said softly.

I shrugged. “Don’t know.”

We sat there in silence for a few minutes before she finally spoke up. “Do you hate me?” she asked.

I stared at my knees, racking my brain for an answer.  _I should hate her.  She’s the reason why I feel this way._ “No.  I don’t hate you.”

She placed her hand over mine. “You have every right to hate me, Asami.  After all, I’m the reason why you feel this way.”

I looked at her hand. “You’re only part of the reason.  Mako has every right to be a part of the problem; you don’t have to take all the blame,” I admitted.

She smiled a little. “See?  There the truth comes out finally.”

I smiled back a little then returned my eyes to my knees. “Are you and him going to…yeah know…” I asked sheepishly, feeling like an idiot for even suggesting it in the first place.

“In honesty?  I don’t really know,” she replied, causing me to look at her with confusion.  She rubbed the back of her head. “To tell you the truth, I really wanted to before I kissed him.  I was jealous as hell when you two started to date.  After the kiss?  Not so much.”

“Really?” I asked, my body starting to relax.

Korra nodded and looked at her hands. “In truth, when I saw how hurt you were after, I couldn’t help but feel even worse off.  Now, every time I think about actually being with him, I mentally see that look and hate myself even more.”  She raised her head and looked me in the eyes. “I really didn’t want to hurt you like that, Asami.  I’m sorry that I was so selfish to do that to you.”

I looked her in the eyes for what felt a lifetime before pulling her into a tight hug. “You’re a fucking goofball,” I said, trying to hold my tears back.

She chuckled and hugged me back. “So I take it that I’m forgiven, best friend?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but you so owe me for that heartbreak.”

She leaned back and smiled at me. “I’m never going to break your heart again, Asami.  I promise.”

“I’m holding you to that,” I told her with a smile as we stood up.

* * *

 

It wasn’t that easy to talk to Mako as it had been with Korra, but as the week progressed, we started to make our amends.  It would be a long time before I forgave him, but I was willing to at least try.  The weekend matches rolled in before we knew it.  The awkwardness of the previous week seeped its way into the cohesion of the junior varsity, which showed in their second round match, but Bolin was able to pull them out a win and a trip to the semi-finals.  The win seemed to pull Korra and Mako out of their funk afterwards as they were their more energetic selves.

Kuvira’s team still had their match to go, so Korra and the guys met us at the box seats after they had changed into clean, nice-smelling clothes.  Opal and I were just about to take our seats, snacks in hand, when they came into the room.

“I smell popcorn!” Korra shouted as she ran over to us, jumping into the seat next to mine.

I smiled and handed her the cup of popcorn.  I turned my attention to Bolin and Mako. “Snacks are on the counter for you two if you’d like some,” I said with a smile.

Bolin smiled wide as he turned towards the snacks; Mako gave a small smile and nod before joining his brother in looking through the snacks.  Opal’s eyes never left Bolin as he started to scarf down the nearest snacks he could get his hands on.

“For Spirits sake, Opal, just ask him out!” I said in a whisper so that only Korra and Opal could hear.

Opal glared at me. “Shut up!” she whispered back.

Korra snickered beside me. “Do it before someone else does, Opal.”

“It’s not the right time yet!” Opal said in a louder voice.

“Not the right time for what?” Bolin asked, mouth full of food.

Opal, visibly stunned, tried to backtrack. “Uh…time for…uh…”

“The match, Bolin.  My watch is off, so I thought that the match was running late,” I said, offering Opal a way out.

Bolin nodded his understanding before joining us with more snacks.  He looked at his watch. “Should be starting soon.”

It wasn’t too long after that Kuvira and the rest of the varsity team arrived to the arena to face their opponents.  The match didn’t last long as the varsity claimed a first-round knockout.  To see how fast the varsity worked was incredible; I swore they didn’t even break a sweat.  I heard Bolin gulp at a realization that we all had after the match.

“If we make the finals…” Korra started.

“And if they make the finals…” Mako continued.

“We’re in for a long, long match.” Bolin finished.

* * *

 

We met up with Kuvira and the rest of the varsity team at the front of the arena.  They had changed quickly out of their uniforms and were waiting patiently for us.  Acari was the first to notice us.

“Anytime, juniors.  The champs need to get their rest in,” she said, stretching out to reiterate.

Mako rolled his eyes. “You might need rest, Acari, but I know it’s not going to be beauty sleep.”

The group broke out into laughter at the shot, which only intensified after Acari’s Mako-directed glare.  We walked out of the arena still laughing as Acari and Mako traded jabs back and forth.  As I laughed, my eyes wandered, looking for Dad’s limo.  When I found it, confusion filled my body.

Beside him was the Chief of Police, Lin Beifong, and two sergeants.  I didn’t mind the police, but the last time I had seen the scene was when Mom died.  Fear running through me, I quickly sprinted over to him. “Dad!” I called out.

Chief Beifong and Dad both turned to my voice.  I ran into his arms and hugged him tight. “Asami!  What’s wrong?” he asked, leaning back and quickly looking me over.

“I’m ok, but what happened?” I quickly asked, fearful of what could have happened.

Dad smiled a gentle smile. “Honey, it’s ok.  Nothing’s wrong, I promise.  Chief Beifong was just informing me of an unfortunate event with the Fauns.”

“As in the Security Fauns?” Mako asked as the group joined us at the limo.

Chief Beifong nodded. “The largest security firm in all of Republic City was just found to have connections to the Equalist movement.”

I covered my mouth.  _So many companies…Future Industries included…_ “What’s being done now?” I asked.

“Chief Beifong has an investigation going on right now, Asami.  As for Future Industries, I’ll have personnel security increased.  As for our documentation, we’ll have it moved to a more secure location,” Dad said.

I nodded.  _Hopefully they weren’t able to get ahold of any of our projects.  Thankfully, my projects aren’t in any of Future Industries databases._ A warm hand appeared on my shoulder.  I turned and looked at the source, finding Korra smiling gently at me.

“Don’t worry, Asami.  Everything’s going to be alright,” she said.

Outside of her being my best friend and the constant fear that anything and everything could go wrong, there was no reason that I should trust her logic, but I did.  I nodded and pulled her into a hug. “I hope so,” I whispered into her ear.

* * *

 

I was a wreck that night with worry.  Even as my body begged for sleep, my mind continued to run on today’s events.  I stared at my ceiling, thinking about almost everything, when my phone alerted me to a text.  It was from Zhu Li.

**Zhu Li:  Are you busy in the morning?**

It had been a while since I had been to school early.  I grabbed my planner, turning it to the next day.  Nothing was really that important.

**Me:  Nothing that can’t be handled later.  Why?  What’s up?**

I set my phone back down, adjusting so that I could put my planner back into my bag.  Zhu Li’s response came back quickly.

**Zhu Li:  Varrick and I just made a very interesting discovery.**

I frowned.  _I don’t like the sound of this._

**Me:  What kind of discovery?**

Her response was almost instant.

**Zhu Li:  Have you heard of the bloodbender Yakone?**

_No, Zhu Li, I haven’t._

**Me:  Doesn’t ring a bell, but I have a feeling you’re going to tell me.**

**Zhu Li:  He was a crime boss who could bloodbend without a full moon.  It took Aang taking away his bending for his rampage to finally stop.**

I shuddered at the information.  _A bloodbender who could bloodbend without a full moon?  Thankfully his bending was gone._

**Me:  Scary, but what does this have to do with anything?**

**Zhu Li:  A week after his bending was taken away, Yakone disappeared from jail.**

**Me:  Zhu Li, I’m still not seeing the connection.**

**Zhu Li:  The connection is this:  His last name was Arlin.  Asami, Tarrlok Arlin is Yakone’s son.**

_Well, shit._ This wasn’t good at all.

**Me:  And here I thought there was going to be good news.  So, what do we do now?**

**Zhu Li:  I don’t know yet, but I have a bad feeling that Mr. Arlin is more involved in this Equalist movement than just trying to “stop it.”**

I sighed at the thought.  _And senior year was supposed to be the easy year._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can only imagine what Soccet has in store for us. But we'll be in this together, heartbreak and all.
> 
> Asami <3


	11. Times Are Changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life doesn't come with a "pause-and-let-me-figure-this-out" button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did as I wrote it. I managed to surprise myself with how much I liked this chapter. I may or may not have been squealing to myself while I was rereading it.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

Question:  what happens when Championship Finals coincides with midterm finals?  Answer:  a lot of homework is assigned the week before, which also happens to be semi-finals.  Korra, Opal, Zhu Li, and I found ourselves having a girls study night at my house Thursday.  It was the only night we could agree on, and Dad just so happened to be out on a business trip.  His schedule had started to fill rapidly when news that Security Fauns were under investigation; he now had to personally make sure that everything in the company was running smoothly.

I rubbed the sides of my head.  _This was the third night in a week that he hasn’t been home because of business.  This Equalist movement is starting to hit home hard now._ I sighed and rolled onto my back on my bed.

“Everything ok?” I heard Korra ask.

I leaned my head back and saw the worry that was etched on her face.  She had been surprisingly quiet the entire night, which wasn’t a characteristic of her.  Usually, she’d be trying to get everyone to slack off on their homework by tempting us with movies, snacks, or something along the lines of that.  We’d always end up giving in to the temptations.  Tonight, though, she was rock hard focused on studying.

I shrugged. “Just a lot on my mind.”

“About?” Opal asked, setting her notebook down.

I sat up, spinning around so that I could look at everyone. “It’s just…Dad’s been away on business a lot since the whole Faun investigation started,” I said with a sigh.

Opal placed her hand on my knee and smiled up at me. “Hey, everyone’s worried ok?  This movement’s got everyone on edge, but it’ll work out.  We just need to believe that soon Amon will get what’s coming to him.”

I nodded.  _I hope so, Opal._ We sat in silence for a few minutes before Korra excused herself.  I watched her get up and head towards the kitchen.  The way she walked, the way her shoulders hung…something wasn’t right.  I got up, not bothering to explain where I was going to Opal or Zhu Li, but I had a feeling they knew where I was going.

She was leaning against the counter, a glass of water in one hand and the other on the side of her face.  I stood by the doorway of the kitchen, watching her.  I could see it written on her face.  She felt like she was the one who HAD to take Amon done, yet he was still out there causing trouble for everyone in the city.  She wore the burden on her shoulders, and it was eating at her.

“Korra,” I said softly.

She looked up, and I could see the reds of her eyes.  My shoulders deflated.  _She shouldn’t have to have this much on her shoulders.  This is more than a one person job._ She looked away when she saw it was me who called her name.

“Sorry,” she said as she wiped her eyes.

I took a step towards her. “You don’t need to be sorry, Korra.  This isn’t your fault.”

She bit her lip. “Yes, it is, Asami,” she said with a pained expression. “If I was stronger, braver, then Amon wouldn’t be here.  I should’ve taken care of him back on the island.  I should’ve ended it then and there.  If he wasn’t around, then everything would be normal, would be better.”

I closed the distance between the two of us and pulled her into a tight hug.  It was a moment before she finally returned it.  We stood in silence, her shoulders starting to shake.  I pulled her closer to me, trying my hardest to squeeze the burden off her.

“Korra, you can’t do everything by yourself.  Yes, you’re the Avatar, but Aang didn’t defeat the Fire Lord by himself.  He had Katara, Sokka, Toph, and so many others,” I said, leaning back so that she could look at me. “You have friends here who want to help you.  Mako, Bolin, Opal.  Me.  We’re all here for you, and we’re all here to help.”

She sniffed, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “I don’t want you guys to get hurt, Asami.  If you got hurt when I could have prevented it, then I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.”

I smiled softly. “Korra, I can take care of myself.  All of us can.  Mako and Bolin are your teammates; you’ve seen how well they can protect themselves.  Opal’s mom, Suyin, made sure that all of her children, benders or non-benders, knew some form of self-defense, so Opal can easily take down anyone who steps in her way.  And I know several forms of martial arts and self-defense thanks to Dad being really paranoid after my mom died.  We can help you, but you have to let us.”

She looked at me then hugged me again. “Thanks, Asami.  I needed that.”

I smiled as I returned the hug. “Of course, Korra.  What are best friends for?”

It wasn’t long after that Opal called for us, wondering what was taking us so long.  The rest of the night went on without a hitch; we were laughing, making fun of each other, and Korra was acting more like herself.  My chest swelled whenever she would laugh or a smile would last longer than a few seconds on her face.  To see her happy was one of the best joys I had that night.  _Yet, it feels…different this time.  Like, really different, and I can’t place my finger on why._

* * *

 

The weekend rolled its head around, and, of course, new problems arose.  The day of the semi-finals, Bolin and Mako decided it would be the best of time to fight over Spirits-knows-what, and it eventually rolled over into preparation for the match.  Even with Opal and I trying our hardest to help sort the brothers out of this funk, they still went into the match pissed at each other.  It showed, unfortunately, when their opponents began to knock the boys around senselessly during the match, leaving Korra out to fend for their chance at the final. 

I covered my eyes after watching Mako and Bolin both get knocked off the platform. “I can’t watch this,” I groaned.  _There goes their chances at the championship._

A few minutes later, Opal began to vigorously shake me in my seat. “Asami, look!” she shouted, pointing to the platform.

I dropped my hands, and I was amazed at what I saw.  Korra was moving back and forth with ease, dodging each attack that was thrown her way.  She looked as if she were walking on air.  Their opponents weren’t giving up, but each attack continued to lose intensity as they were fired at Korra.

“Go Korra!” Opal shouted from beside me.

I clasped my hands over my mouth.  _Come on Korra, you can do it._ As if sensing my thoughts, Korra shot off an attack that knocked one opponent into the next and then into the third; all three fell into the water for a late second knockout!  Opal and I cheered at the top of our lungs, hugging each other as Korra stood in the middle of the ring, waving at the cheers around her.  _She did it!  She really did it!_

I grabbed Opal’s hand and dragged her to the door. “Come on!  Let’s go find them!” I said, a smile wide on my face.

We sprinted as fast as we could to their locker room, almost breaking down the door as we slammed inside.  Opal ran to hug Bolin, and I ran to hug Korra.  She smiled as I threw myself into her arms.

“That was just…just amazing, Korra!” I yelled, leaning back so I could see her face.

She smiled and rubbed the back of her head. _Wait, is that a blush she’s trying to hide?_ “It wasn’t anything really.”

“Stop being so…so…Korra!  That was amazing, and you know it!” Opal said, smiling at Korra.

Bolin unwrapped himself from Opal and Mako joined them as they came over to her.  I let her go so that Bolin could wrap his arm around her shoulders. “Korra, you single-handedly secured our spot in the Finals!  Without you, we wouldn’t have made it this far,” he said, that big Bolin smile on his face.

Mako nodded with a smile. “He’s not wrong, Korra.”

Korra smiled at their compliments. “But I didn’t do anything really,” she said, turning her attention to me. “We wouldn’t really have been here with you, Asami.  If it weren’t for you and your dad, we’d never have been able to have the chance in the first place.”

Course, now it was my turn to hide a blush. “It…it was nothing…uh,” I said, coughing to try and break up the awkward pause. “If we don’t hurry, we won’t be able to make it back to the box seats to watch the varsity play.”

Everyone was in agreeance with that.  Opal and I waited as Korra and the boys grabbed their gear before quickly running back to the box seats.  Thankfully, Kuvira and the rest of the varsity had just made their way onto the platform.  I took my seat, smiling when Korra took the seat next to me.

“Who are they up against tonight?” Opal asked as she took the opposite seat next to me.

I looked down at the program. “White Falls High’s Wolfbats,” I said, scrunching my nose as I read it off.

Korra saw my expression. “What is it?”

Mako crossed his arms as he watched the Wolfbats make their entrance onto the platforms. “They’re notorious for cheating during these matches.  Tahno, their waterbender, also has a reputation for being a punk who has no respect for women whatsoever.”

An annoyed face came over Korra, and I had to stifle a small laugh. _That was too cute of a face for her._ “I don’t know the kid and already I hate him,” she said, her attention now fully on the platform.

It seemed that the Wolfbats and their reputation would continue on into their match against the varsity team.  It lasted longer than most, but their dirty techniques and lack of a good ref made it impossible for the varsity to win.  The last round was the worst by far.  The last man standing for the varsity was Kuvira, and she was doing all that she could to keep them in the fight.  Suddenly, events took a scary turn.

A rock-filled water shot by Tahno hit Kuvira in the helmet, knocking it off and knocking her right into the water.  Acari, already injured, wasn’t in any good position to help her teammate as she watched her drop into the water.  All of us in the box seats ran to the window, watching the water and waiting for Kuvira to come up, but as the seconds ticked by, we could tell something was wrong.

“Kuvira!” Opal shouted, about ready to jump into the water when Korra beat her to it.

Korra dove head first into the water, waterbending it to break her fall as she dove for Kuvira.  I held Opal back, not wanting her to get hurt.  She struggled as we waited for Korra to reach Kuvira.  Seconds later, Korra broke the surface with Kuvira in tow.  She gave us a thumbs up before pulling Kuvira to the platform on the water, medics waiting nearby to help.  Opal broke free from my grip, leaving the room to go to her foster sister’s side with Bolin right behind her.  Mako and I left the room soon after grabbing the gear that was left behind.

Kuvira was awake and coughing up water with Opal beside her when we arrived.  Mako and I dropped the equipment into a pile and ran over to them, the medics insisting that Opal take a step back.  She was vehemently against their suggestions until I reached out and put my hand on her shoulder.

“Opal, you need to let them do their jobs, ok?  Kuvira’s going to be fine,” I said, looking her in the eyes as I spoke.

After a moment, Opal nodded and took a step back to stand with Bolin, Mako and I.  When I guided Opal into Bolin’s arms, I turned my head and started to scan the room.  _Where is she?_ I found Korra being tended to by her own set of medics.  By the way of her movements, she was trying to explain to them that she was ok herself, but by the annoyed face she had on, it wasn’t working.  I jogged over to her and pulled her into a hug, which in turned gave the medics a reason to leave her alone for a moment.

I leaned back and looked at her before slapping her shoulder. “You idiot!  You just had to go be a hero, didn’t you?” I said, shaking my head.

She smiled. “Awe, you care,” she said, laughing.

A blush escaped onto my cheeks. “Course I did,” I said softly looking down slightly.

Her laughter stopped, and I saw a slight blush appear on her cheeks. “Well…uh…thanks,” she began to stutter, rubbing the back of her head.

We stood there, awkwardly blushing at each other, before Bolin’s shout broke our silence. “Guys, come on!  We need to drop Opal off at home so that she can grab some stuff for Kuvira!”

I turned to face him. “Alright, alright!  We’re coming!” I shouted back before turning back to Korra. “Ready?”

She smiled a little. “Always.”

I smiled back, and we jogged over to where they were waiting for us.  I was the last of the group to leave, Korra being in front of me.  As we walked to my car, I couldn’t help but find myself staring at Korra, watching her as she laughed to something Bolin and Opal were talking about.  It was then that I thought back to what she had said.

_“Awe, you care.”_

I placed my hand above my chest.  _What was this feeling?  It’s…so different than before._ I hadn’t realized until Korra’s voice brought me back to reality.

“Hey, you ok?” she asked, concern written on her voice and on her face.

I looked at her.  For once, I didn’t know how I felt, yet I knew I wanted to smile.  I wanted to smile for her.  So I did. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, yet it felt as if I should’ve said more.

She smiled back that smile that had always gave me butterflies.  That smile that always made me second-guess myself. “Good.  Let’s get going,” she said as she held her arm out to me.

I smiled, linking my arm with hers, and walked to my car with her.  As I drove us to Opal’s, I couldn’t help but think about what had just transpired and wish that it could stay like that forever.  _Forever with Korra._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note: she was definitely squealing to herself as she reread the chapter!
> 
> Asami <3


	12. I'm Seeing Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes a night drive is all you need to think about what's on your mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 4000 views and 200 kudos. You guys are amazing; thank you so much for reading this story! This chapter was fun to write. As for the next chapter, here's a preview: Pro-bending fight scene!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

The night of the semi-finals, thankfully, ended on a more positive note than how we thought it would.  Kuvira came out mostly uninjured, save for the concussion the hit gave her.  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though Opal was a complete wreck for the rest of the night.  She eventually fell fast asleep on Bolin’s lap, which we could all tell he didn’t mind the least about.  While we were at the hospital, I insisted that Korra be checked out as well, and she fought me the whole time until conceding to letting a nurse do a quick check.  After the checkup and making sure that Suyin and Baatar Senior were on their way to the hospital, I offered to drive both Mako and Korra home. 

The apartment Mako shared with his brother wasn’t far from the hospital, so it was easy to drop him off first.  After waving goodbye, I began the drive to the docks where the Air Temple Island ferry was.  Korra slumped back in her seat beside me, groaning as she tried to find a comfortable position to try and lay in.  I smiled when I saw her sit up after a minute of trying.

“We’re almost there, Korra.  Then you can go jump into bed and sleep comfortably,” I said, taking a turn towards the docks.

She yawned as she leaned her head against her fist. “I know, but that doesn’t make me any less tired.”

I smiled as I pulled up to the docks.  They were unusually dark for this time of night, so I drove farther than normal towards the main building.  I frowned when I realized that the workers had left for the night earlier than usual.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Korra slump forward when she came to the realization that there would be no ferry ride tonight.

“Looks like I’m going to have to swim to the island tonight,” she said as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

I looked over at her, watching her start to get out of the car.  She began to stretch out her body, her muscles already stiff from overexertion from earlier.  _She’s already done so much tonight.  It’s not fair that she’s going to have to do more just so she can get some sleep for tomorrow._ Then the thought hit me.

“Korra!” I shouted to her before she could jump into the water.

She stopped mid-launch, catching herself before she could fall into the water.  She looked at me confused and surprised. “Yeah?”

“Why don’t you come stay the night at my house?” I asked.

The silence that followed wasn’t something I had planned for.  I watched as she continued to look at me, her face in a questioning manner, as she thought over my suggestion.  It was one of the few times that I had actually seen her ponder longer than a minute about something outside of food.  I didn’t realize I was clenching the steering wheel, waiting for an answer, when she spoke up.

“Are you sure?” she asked, the uncertainty hinting on her voice.

I smiled. “Course.  We’ve got plenty of space, and you wouldn’t have to swim home.”

She thought over the proposition again before smiling at me.  She ran back over to the car, jumping into the passenger seat.  I rolled my eyes at her childish behavior before putting my car in gear and driving towards home.

Home was on the other side of the city, but there weren’t many people out right now because of how late it was.  The sky was clear of clouds, making for a beautiful view of the stars.  It seemed as if I wasn’t only one to notice how beautiful they were.

“If only the buildings weren’t in the way.  We’d have a great view of the sky right now,” I heard Korra say as I pulled to a stop at a stoplight.

I looked up at the sky then at her.  The way she was staring up at the sky with an amazed smile on her face made my chest clench.  _Spirits, how on earth does she do this to me?_  As if my brain hadn’t come up with enough ideas tonight, another came storming into my mind, and I smiled at the thought.

“Well, since we’re already going to be out here this late at night, how about we take the long way home?” I asked, the light in front of us turning green.

Korra looked at me confused as I took a left. “There’s a long way to your house?”

I smiled at her.  Even before I got my license, I was traveling everywhere with Dad.  Republic City and the surrounding area didn’t have a pathway that I didn’t know about by the time I was allowed to finally drive myself around.  Punching the gas, we sped out of the city and out into the country where the moon and the stars around us gave us our only source of light.  After taking a concerned minute of gripping the door handle as I sped us away from Republic City, Korra began to laugh as she relaxed.

“You’re crazy, Asami!” she yelled as I easily maneuvered the country roads with ease at our speed, which was nearing ninety miles per hour.

I flashed a smile at her before scanning the surroundings.  There was a certain road I was looking for, and only the trained eye could spot it, especially at these speeds.  I smiled when I noticed it coming up on our right.  I slowed down, taking a sharp turn up the dirt road.  Carefully following the turns, I followed the path until it led to a cliff that overlooked the ocean.  I pulled close to the edge but kept enough distance away for us to walk out in front of the car.  Turning off the car, I got out and left my keys on my seat.  I walked over to a nearby tree, smiling when I found my familiar seat between its large roots.  As I took my seat, I saw Korra had followed me over.

“Like the view?” I asked with a smile.

She stopped just in front of the tree, looking out at the ocean.  Its end blended together with the sky above, making for a breath-taking sight. “It’s perfect,” she said, a smile playing on her lips.

I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest. “I used to come out here a lot after Dad bought my first scooter.  It was peaceful, and I was able to think more about my mom without having to worry about someone hearing me cry,” I said softly as I looked out at the ocean.

Korra sat in front of me, not saying a word.  She leaned back on her hands, her eyes transfixed on the ocean.  I watched her out the corner of my eye; she had a look of at peace, of relaxation.  She seemed more sure of herself here than anywhere near Republic City.  Water had that effect on people, I noticed.

“Are you scared?” I heard her ask softly.

I dropped one of my legs, resting my chin on the raised knee. “About?”

“Amon.  This Equalist movement.  Life in general,” she clarified with a shrug.

I scooted closer to her, sitting shoulder to shoulder next to her. “Honestly, I’m terrified.  So much could go down with this stuff that I’m scared everything I know will change for the worse,” I said, sensing her shift uncomfortably.  I looked up at the sky. “But I have faith.  I have faith that no matter what happens, we’ll fix it, and we’ll get through it.”

“You have a lot more faith than I do, and I’m the Avatar,” Korra said, that deflated tone present in her voice.

I looked at her; that confidence I had seen only minutes ago had washed away.  She looked down at the waves as they crashed against the cliff side.  I could tell what she was thinking; she was picturing herself as the cliff, being smacked against by the waves of problems that kept popping up into her life.

I put my hand over hers. “Korra.  I have faith because you are the Avatar.  I have because I know that somehow, someway, you will beat Amon.  You will beat this Equalist movement.  I have faith because I believe in you.”

She sighed. “How do you have so much faith in me?”

I reached around her, putting my hands on her shoulders and turning her so that she was now facing me. “Because I know you can do it, Korra.  Look at tonight; Kuvira could have been hurt far worse if you hadn’t intervened when you had.  We saved Bolin from having his bending taken away when he was kidnapped because you were able to create the smoke screen to cover us.  You have done a lot of amazing things since I met you, Korra.  I know that you have the strength to beat Amon; you have the strength to beat anything that stands in your way.”

She sat there, staring those blue eyes into my green; it was as if I could see the gears in her mind turning, trying to comprehend what I was telling her.  We sat there, my hands on her shoulders, her staring at me, for what felt like a lifetime.  The look of uncertainty on her face was so…so there that I just wanted to lean in and kiss her and help her out of this funk.  _Wait…did I just think about kissing Korra?_

She smiled and rubbed her eyes, breaking me from my thoughts as I focused on her. “Thanks, Asami,” she said. “I needed that.”

I smiled back, hugging her close. “Anytime, Korra.  I’m here for you.”

She hugged me back, and we stayed there for a few minutes.  _And for whatever reason, it felt just right.  Like I don’t want to move from this spot; I just want to sit here in her arms for as long as I can._ But it wasn’t to be.

“It’s getting pretty late,” she said, pulling back slowly.

I nodded, looking down at the time on my phone.  _Almost two o’clock._ “Yeah.  We should be heading home and trying to get as much sleep as we can.”

She stood up first, holding her hand out to me.  I looked up at her and smiled at my view.  That cocky smile she had on showed her confidence was back.  I took her hand and allowed her to pull me to my feet.  The drive back was a lot quieter but relaxing.  We didn’t stay up long after we got home; Korra had managed to pass out on my bed before she could change out of her clothes.  Thankfully, I had the strength to adjust her so that I could get in bed, and, let me tell you, she was damn heavy.  _All that time she spends working out with the guys and practicing for this tournament, I bet._

As I laid down, after finally moving Korra so that she was on one half of the bed, I couldn’t help but think about earlier at the cliff.  Specifically, I was thinking about how I thought about kissing Korra.  I looked at her, watching her sleep peacefully, and began to think to myself.  _Is this just like…like some phase?  Or…am I really falling in love with her?  Spirits, why does this have to be so confusing?!_ If I could’ve, I would’ve angrily yelled at myself in my thoughts more, but sleep had other plans.

* * *

 

Time seemed to fly the following week, mainly due to it being Finals week for the semester.  Kuvira only missed a day of school and didn’t miss any of her exams.  Su sent Korra a thank you basket full of goodies afterwards as thanks for the quick intervention.  She ended up sharing it with all of us. 

_“Too many sweets for this hardworking body,” she said, laughing as she held out the basket._

I smiled at the memory.  I was currently waiting at Narook’s for Dad; he had promised dinner with me before he left tonight for another business meeting.  I wasn’t dressed as fancy as some of the other patrons in the restaurant were, but Dad and I had been coming to Narook’s since I was ten.  The management, restaurant staff, and I were all on first-name basis, so it was easy to come in slightly fancy clothes and fit right on in with them.

“Another lemonade, Asami?” Jose asked, walking by my table on his way back to the kitchen.  He’d been working here for the last two years.

I smiled. “Yes, please.”

He smiled, taking my glass back with him as he left.  I looked down at my phone.  5:52 pm.  I scrunched my nose as I looked up at the door.  _Dad usually isn’t this late to dinner.  Hopefully nothing caught him at work._ As if reading my mind, Dad walked in all smiles.  I smiled back, waving him over to the table.

He slid into the seat across from me. “Sorry, honey.  I missed a few checks on one of our newer projects, and I needed to get them done before I left the office today.”

I shrugged. “You’ve been busy, Dad.  It’s alright.”

He sighed and took one of my hands in his. “I know, and I’m sorry.  There’s been a lot of rumors that more businesses are being investigated for ties connecting to that Equalist movement, so everything’s been piling up on everyone’s desks,” he said, a grave look on his face.

I frowned.  _This wasn’t good.  If they were rival businesses, then they might come after Future Industries as well._ “Isn’t there anything we can do?  How’s this going to affect Future Industries?” I asked, leaning forward onto the table.

Dad waved off my concerns. “Honey, please don’t worry yourself with this right now.  You’re still in school, and I want you to focus on your studies.  I know how much you want to get into Republic City University.”

_It was true; the engineering department was the best among the nations._ “But this is my company too, Dad,” I countered. “Someday, I’m going to have to run it.”

“Hopefully, that day is far away, Asami.  Until then, I’m still in charge of the company, and I’m asking you to please not worry about it, ok?” Dad asked as Jose came out with my lemonade and Dad’s cup of coffee.  _Sometimes we were just a bit too predictable._

I sighed. “Ok, but I want to know if anything else happens.”

Dad smiled as he poured his creamer and sugar into the coffee. “Deal,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. “So tell me; how’s the tournament going?”

I smiled, relaying to him how the tournament had been going up until Kuvira’s hit.  Honestly, it felt good to finally talk to Dad about things that weren’t business related, but at the same time, it didn’t stop me from worrying about him.  I felt like that’s all I got done now a days when I wasn’t in school.  I was either worrying about him, or I was worrying about Korra.  I sighed mentally to myself.  _Just another day in the life of Asami Sato, I guess._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn these confusing feelings. That's all I'm saying about that.
> 
> Asami <3


	13. Championship Finals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Fire Ferrets vs Wolfbats time, ladies and gentlemen.

I sat back in my seat, my arms crossed over my chest and my eyes closed.  Right now, my mind should’ve been in the present, patiently waiting on them to arrive, but all I could think about was this morning.  Amon had threatened the benders again; this time he had threatened to attack the Championship tournament if it wasn’t cancelled. 

_Not wanting to let the championship slip through their fingers, I drove Korra, Bolin, and Mako to the Republic City Council Chambers during lunch.  Opal joined us as well, while Zhu Li and Varrick stayed behind in case we were missed.  Traffic was congested due to lunch time, but I was able to get us there relatively quick thanks to the side roads.  We ran inside, catching all of the membership when they were about to make a decision._

_“You can’t shut down the tournament!” Korra yelled as we ran past the guards._

_Tenzin looked at us surprised. “Korra?  Aren’t you supposed to be in school right now?”_

_Korra turned her attention mainly to Tenzin. “Tenzin, you can’t shut the tournament down.  If we give in to his demands, how is that going to look on us?”_

_Tenzin’s face grew grim. “Korra, I understand that you and your friends made it to the finals, but we can’t risk any of the participants or audience members getting hurt.”_

_“Well then, don’t worry about it because it’ll be my security team there,” a new voice announced from behind us._

_We all turned, surprised to find Chief Beifong and a couple of her sergeants behind us. “Aunt Lin!” Opal shouted, a smile on her face._

_Beifong returned her smile before looking at the Council. “I can guarantee the safety of all those present tonight at the tournament finals.  My people are up to the task, and you know how I deliver.”_

_Tenzin rubbed the bridge of his nose, but the rest of the Council members were ecstatic about the proposition.  All were in favor, though Tenzin made it clear to Beifong that he’d be attending as well to make sure that no one was harmed._

“Hey, you alright?” I heard Opal ask, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I opened my eyes and looked up at her.  She had just came back with Dad from the concession stand, arms full of snacks. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, sitting up as she handed me my cup of popcorn.

“Still thinking about this morning?” she asked as she took the seat to my right.

I nodded. “Even with all this security, I’m still worried.”

Opal smiled sadly. “So am I, and I’m related to the police chief,” she said as she looked at towards the ring.  Korra and the boys were on the platform currently moving out to the main stage. “Amon’s a scary guy, so he could try anything.”

I smiled as I watched Pabu do his opening routine. “That’s what I’m worried about, Opal.  That he could try anything, especially tonight.”

We didn’t have a chance to talk more as the lights around us went out.  The announcer made the Wolfbats introductions, and I cringed at their costumes and fireworks that accompanied their entrance.  _Seriously?  I can’t wait until Korra and the boys knock these guys on their asses._ The two teams met in the middle for the beginning of the match.  Even from here, I could see Tahno’s ego-confident smile, which only made me want to personally punch him in the face even more.  I felt Opal place her hand on my shoulder; I sighed and leaned back, trying to relax.

“Sorry,” I said softly, a pout on my face.

Opal chuckled a little. “I get it.  I want to knock that stupid grin off his face too.”

I smiled as I heard the bell ring, signaling the beginning of the match.  The Wolfbats came on strong, catching Korra and Mako off guard and knocking them back into the second zone.  Opal and I laughed as Bolin managed to knock the firebender on his ass as he was trying to show off.

“That a boy, Bolin!” Opal shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

I watched as the expressions of Tahno and the earthbender change; they began their targeted assault on Bolin.  An attack from Tahno, which knocked Bolin back to the third zone, should have been called for a foul, but none was to be found.  I groaned at the thought that this ref was going to be as bad as the one from the semi’s.  Mako seemed to think the same, complaining to the ref about the hosing limit, but the ref motioned to carry on. 

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. “That’s just…god why do they have to be such jerks!” I said, throwing my hands into the air.

Opal sighed. “We’ll just have to hope that they can pull out a win.”

Korra and Mako managed to get a couple nice shots in, but a sudden movement of the earth panel below Mako’s foot allowed for a hard hit by the earthbender.  I jumped up as I watched Mako get hit back into the third zone. “Are you blind, ref?!  Like seriously!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

“Honey, please relax.  There’s nothing we can do right now,” Dad said from his seat.  I groaned and dropped back into my seat.

Trying their best to hold on, Korra and the boys got a few more hits in.  Dodging back and forth in the second zone, Korra sent an attack at the earthbender, knocking him hard into the ropes.  However, this gave an advantage to Tahno and the firebender;  Tahno was able to cause Bolin to slide as the firebender sent an attack that hit Bolin square in the chest as his foot slid.  A moment later, Bolin smacked front first into the water.  I cringed at the sound of impact; Opal jumped to the window, watching as Bolin slowly swam to the platform.

That left just Korra and Mako.  Soon enough, Korra was knocked back into the third zone with Mako, and a barrage of attacks soon followed.  A well-timed hit knocked both Korra and Mako from the platform, and I sighed, looking down as their chance at the championship fell with the knockout.  _Maybe next year._ Funny thing is I never heard a splash.  When a collective gasp originated from the audience, I looked up and saw Korra hanging by the ledge and holding onto the collar of Mako’s shirt.  With a hard swing, Korra flung Mako back onto the platform, sacrificing herself as she plunged into the water.  Mako was able to send one more attack, hitting the three Wolfbats into their second zone, before the timer for the first round sounded.

I cheered with Opal at the round’s end, watching with a smile on my face as Korra and Bolin met back up with Mako on the platform.  I looked over at Opal, a smile wide on my face, when I noticed that Dad was texting someone on his phone.  _Please don’t be working on work stuff right now, Dad._

“Everything ok, Dad?” I asked, leaning back so that I could get a better look at him.

He looked up and smiled. “Everything’s fine, honey.  I didn’t realize I had misplaced a file today, and one of my assistants was asking where I had placed it, that’s all.”

I nodded.  _Of course it was work.  Hopefully, when this Equalist movement is done, we can go back to how things were before when it wasn’t work central._ I turned my head back towards the ring as the bell sounded for the second round.  Hit after hit after hit.  There was no room for error, and both teams were giving it their all.  The Wolfbats continued with their subtle illegal moves, but Korra and the boys weren’t having any of it.  For every illegal move thrown their way, a clean, hard hit was returned.  I smiled as I seen the frustration wash over Tahno’s face.

The bell sounded for the end of the second round, and a tiebreaker was announced to decide who won the round.  I leaned forward, thinking about a conversation I had with Korra right before the match.  I had found her to wish her luck and told her to kick Tahno’s ass for me.

_“The first chance I can I’ll make sure he won’t see it coming,” she said with a smile on her face._

The Fire Ferrets won the coin toss, and I could see Korra grin as she stepped forward to take on Tahno.  I leaned forward, my hands clenching the open ledge in front of me, as I watched them take their stances.  The platform beneath them begun to rise as they started to circle around the outer ledge.  Tahno raised his hands, egging Korra on.  A flash of a smile came over Korra’s face as she threw an attack.  He quickly dodged, reading to send his counter, when a water attack from below came up and hit him under the jaw, knocking him backwards off the raised platform and his helmet off.

A short silence followed before the crowd, including Opal and I, erupted into a booming cheer.  _Hell yes!_ Opal and I were jumping up and down, wrapped in each other’s arms, when I looked down to see Korra looking up in our direction.  She held up a thumbs up and flashed that cocky smile at us.

I leaned out the window and yelled, “Go Korra!” The cutest blush escaped onto her cheeks as she turned her attention back to the match.

I leaned back into my seat, a smile wide on my face.  As the final round began, Opal leaned forward so that I could see she was looking at me. “Something you want to tell me?” she asked softly.

I looked at her confused. “No?”

She gave me a smirk and leaned back in her chair. “Uh huh.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “What are you getting at, Opal?”

She smiled as she leaned closer to me, whispering in my ear. “Someone’s got a crush on Korra.”

I could feel the warmth rush to my face. “I do not!” I whispered as loud as I could get away with so that Dad couldn’t hear me.

She rolled her eyes, continuing to smile. “Uh huh. Everyone sees how much you two flirt with each other, Asami.  How much you two care about each other.  It’s easy to see whenever she smiles at you, and you stare dumbfounded at her for a small moment.”

_Shit.  I had hoped that wasn’t the case._  I looked back at the match, watching as Korra and the boys moved back and forth before launching their own attacks.  I sighed. “Is it that bad?” I asked softly.

She laughed a little. “Girl, I can see it a mile away how happy you’ve been since Korra came into our lives.  Not even Mako made you this happy, even when you were dating him,” she admitted, returning her attention to the match.

Even as I watched angrily as the Wolfbats continue to get away with each illegal shot they threw, even as I watched the Fire Ferrets plunge into the water below, in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think about what Opal had said.  I couldn’t help but think about the months that led up to this point; all those times I stood there wondering what those weird feelings were that would just show up whenever I was doing something with Korra.  _Could I have a real crush on my best friend?_ I shook my head.  I couldn’t think about it now.  There was a time and place for it, and now wasn’t either of those.

I moved to stand up, intending to go find the three to tell them how proud of them I was, when I started to see flashes of light start to appear around the stadium.  _What the hell?_ Upon closer observation, I watched as several Republic City police officers went down after the flashes of light.  My eyes went wide in fear.  _No._

Before I could yell, I saw Tenzin and Chief Beifong go down.  Opal saw it too, standing up quickly as she watched her aunt hit the floor unconscious. “Aunt Lin!” she shouted.

The doors behind us slammed open, and two masked persons walked in, glowing gloves on their hands.  They walked in slowly, their gloved hands raised at us as they moved us into the corner of the room.  Dad moved Opal and I behind him, but my mind was on the ring.  _I hope Korra and the boys are alright and out of harms way._

Out the corner of my eye, I saw Amon and his men appear on the platform, the Wolfbats subdued in front of them.  Amon began to speak, but I already knew what he was going to do to them.  It was the same thing that they did to Zolt and his friends.  My eyes widened in fear when I saw Korra, Mako, and Bolin tied to one of the pillars below the platform.

“Dad, I have to get to Korra,” I said, tossing my jacket off into a chair.

Dad looked over his shoulder at me, worry written over his face. “Like hell am I letting you leave right now, Asami!  These are dangerous people here, and I’m not letting you get anywhere near them!”

I looked at Opal, who looked back at me with a fearful expression.  I looked at Dad before looking at the two masked persons in front of us.  _Forgive me, Dad._  I quickly ducked underneath Dad’s arm and moved towards the two people.  They were taken aback by my sudden movement, allowing for me to round kick one into the other into the wall.  They slumped to the ground unconscious.  I didn’t stick around for Dad’s or Opal’s reactions, opting to quickly rush out of the room and towards the lift that would take me to the platform.

It didn’t occur to me until after I arrived at the lift how much danger I was putting myself in.  How much danger we were all in.  All that was running through my mind was that I had to save the boys, that I needed to save Korra.  I couldn’t let what happened to Zolt happen to those three.  I couldn’t let it happen.  I slammed open the door that led to the lift, but to my surprise, I ran into a not so friendly face.  Dressed in the uniform of the man who chased after us at the factory was the man who had hurt Korra before.  Standing in front of me, his electric batons charged, was Leu.

He smiled when he realized it was me. “Well, well, well.  Today’s my lucky day.  Now I get to deal with the bitch who took Korra away from me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No updates from Soccet today; she's currently focusing trying not to be sick this morning. She does hope that you all enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Asami <3


	14. And She Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amon's made his move. Can the Krew stop him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happens when an author's sick and can't really leave the couch? She writes a hopefully-great chapter. Well, I feel like it's great, so hopefully you guys do to. And yes, gears are turning now in Asami's head!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

Things went from bad to worse in an instant.  Here I was standing in front of Leu, who turned out to be Amon’s electric baton boy, and I had nothing to defend myself against it.  _Well shit._ We began to circle each other around the room, but with every step taken, Leu was adjusting his angle towards me.  He knew he had me pinned and that I couldn’t defend myself from his batons.  I could hear Tahno from the ring begging Amon to allow him to keep his bending.  Leu smiled when he heard Tahno’s scream.

“One less bender in the world,” he said before launching towards me.

I ducked down, elbowing him in the knee as I jumped forward into a roll and out of his reach.  I spun around as he cried out, pulling my fists up in front of my face in a defensive position.  If we were going to fight, then I was going to give him one hell of a fight.  Turning around, a scowl on his face, he launched at me again.  I ducked underneath his arm and to the left, bringing my leg up and kneeing him hard in the gut before moving to the opposite side of the room.

He wrapped his arm around his stomach and turned to look at me. “It’s people like you that make me sick.  Being all for the people who have an advantage over the rest of us normal people.”

Another attack, another dodge and counter. “And it’s people like you that make me sick.  These people haven’t done anything to deserve this!  You even dated Korra; how could be so hateful towards people like her?” I asked, making sure to keep my distance away from his batons.

That seemed to rile him up worse. “I could have made her perfect!  We’re going to make everyone equal!  No one has to be different from one another in this world!  But you ruined it when you took her away from me!” he screamed as he launched himself at me again.

I stepped to the right, this time holding my leg out a moment longer and tripping him.  He fell forward and rolled into the wall.  Groaning, he moved back to his feet, the anger still clear as day on his face. “I didn’t take her away from you, Leu.  You made her walk away.  That’s what happens when you beat a person you’re supposed to care about,” I said, knowing what was going to happen next.

His face red with anger, he yelled. “Liar!  She left me because of you!”

He rushed at me, his thoughts clouded by his anger towards me, failing to notice I was smiling.  I grabbed the arm he swung at me and flipped him over my shoulder.  He landed on the floor with a thud, a gasp escaping his mouth as the baton’s energy pack dug deep into his back.  I picked up one of the batons and shocked him unconscious.  When it was clear he wasn’t going to be getting up any time soon, I dropped the baton.

“I’m no liar, you psycho,” I said, trying to control my breathing before turning my attention to the main platform.

I walked over to the opening area where the lift was and saw that Korra and the boys were still tied to one of the pillars.  At closer inspection, I saw that Bolin was currently freaking out about something I couldn’t see.  _I need to get over there now before Amon turns his attention to them._ I leaned forward, reading myself to jump into the water, when I saw them.

The Wolfbats were slowly swimming towards the platform on the water below me, their faces shocked and…and hollow.  It didn’t take me long to figure out why as I looked up towards the main platform.  _He had taken their bending away._ I shook my head, turning my attention to the task at hand.  I wasn’t going to let him get the chance to do the same to Korra and the boys.  I jumped into the water, finding my swimming rhythm with practiced ease; being a member of the swim team hand its perks.  Two minutes later, and I was pulling myself onto floor of the platform, running over to the gang.

Korra looked at me surprised. “Asami!  What the hell are you doing?” she asked, concern filling her voice at the thought of the danger around us.

“Helping,” I said, pulling out a small knife and cutting the ropes off.

As I cut away at the ropes, my mind finally registered that Amon was still speaking.  Only, it was his last words that actually got my attention. “The revolution has begun!” he announced from over us.

We all looked up at the main platform. “That can’t be good,” Mako said, standing and pulling the excess rope off his arms.

Suddenly, an explosion rained out above us, knocking us all to the ground.  Korra was first to her feet, jumping out onto the water and freezing a portion of it so that she could look towards the roof.  Her face turned determined.

“I’m going after Amon,” she announced, looking at us.

My gut filled with worry, but I knew that she wasn’t going to listen to reason. “Be careful,” both Mako and I told her.

She nodded, launching herself into the air with waterbending.  I watched as she got halfway up towards Amon’s aircraft, Chief Beifong giving her an extra boost towards one of the rising mini-platforms.  Fear and worry ran some crazy thoughts through my mind, but it wasn’t until a rogue platform came sweeping down towards us that I thought about actually using one of the ideas.

I looked at Bolin, who had been hugging Pabu to his chest watching Korra, and said, “Bolin, I need you to launch me to that platform.”

He looked as the platform started to come closer to us on its swing. “Are you crazy, Asami?”

The platform was getting closer. “Yes!  Now do it!” I yelled, my eyes fully on the platform.

Though his face showed his fear, he nonetheless launched me towards the platform.  I grabbed the wire it was attached to and pulled it close to my body, allowing for the platform to move underneath my feet.  The timing of the launch was perfect; as soon as my feet met the platform, it begun its rise up towards the aircraft.  Within a minute, I was pulled up through the hole in the roof, my attention going to the battle that was taking place on the roof between Chief Beifong and Korra against Amon’s chi blockers.  I frowned when I noticed that Leu was also a part of the battle.

Successfully knocking back Leu, Korra looked up and noticed my rise towards the aircraft, an expression of fear on her face. “Asami!”

I was about to call out to her when I felt a sharp kick to the back of my head.  Knocked off the platform, I began to fall towards the hole in the roof.  My vision blurred, and I was vaguely aware that I was back inside the arena.  I turned my head up and saw the smoking arena platform coming closer and closer.  _This is it.  This is where I’m going to die._ I closed my eyes, waiting on the inevitable end.

It was then that I felt two arms wrap around me and my body jerk back towards the direction I had fallen from.  Suddenly, the person who had their arms around me and I were swinging.  Then came the hard landing, but the person who had grabbed me had adjusted our bodies so that I landed on them.  Groaning, I placed my hands on the ground and slowly lifted myself up, opening my eyes to see who my savior was.  A mixture of surprise and happiness flowed through me.  It was Korra.

“Hey, you alright?” she asked, slowly sitting up on her elbows.

I nodded. “Thanks to you.”

She smiled as I moved off of her. “Good, because you are one crazy person.  What were you thinking?”

Chief Beifong soon landed beside us. “I could ask the same thing, Ms. Sato.  That was some very dangerous thinking.”

Korra and I both stood up as I answered. “I saw an opportunity to help, so I took it.”

Whatever Chief was about to say, Dad’s yelling soon drowned it out.  I got the entire “What were you thinking?!  You’re grounded!” speech and more as everyone crowded around us to make sure we were alright.  Yet, I didn’t care.  My friends were safe.  Korra was safe.  And we had bigger problems on our hands.

Amon had proved that he could take on Republic City’s police department and come out on top, evident by their destruction of the police’s aircraft and their ability to knock out the metalbending officers with ease.  Not to mention, knowing that Leu was Amon’s top agent was unsettling, especially for Korra.  Yet, there she was, taking the news like a champ.  Like she always did.

Statements were taken, the Wolfbats were taken to the hospital to be looked at by the healers, and soon everyone was dispersing.  Thankfully, I had driven myself to the arena, giving me a chance to break away from Dad’s disapproving looks.  I watched as his limo drove away for home, sighing in relief.  _I know he won’t be mad for long, but it’s still hard to be under that much scrutiny by him._ I walked over to my car where the gang was currently conversing.  Opal was standing beside Bolin holding Pabu, while Korra was leaning up against my car with Mako.  The boys both had looks of despair on their faces.

“I think we’ve all had a rough night tonight, guys.  No need for those faces to add on,” I said, trying to break the gloomy mood that had surrounded them.

Mako sighed. “Butakha just informed us that he won’t be able to continue paying for our apartment’s rent.  He’s closing down the arena.”

“Oh, Mako, I’m so sorry,” I said as my mind already had begun to work on different living arrangements for them.

No one had a clear solution as to the boys’ problem.  They were both content to going back to the homeless shelter for the night when the thought hit me. “Why not crash with me?  The house has plenty of space,” I suggested.

Bolin’s mood instantly perked up. “You mean your mansion of a house?”

Opal and I laughed. “It’s not a mansion, Bolin,” Opal said as she continued to stroke Pabu’s fur.

“No, it is a mansion,” Korra said, a smile on her face.

We all laughed, finally breaking the gloomy mood.  It felt good to laugh with them, considering what had just gone down tonight.  As we continued to discuss plans for moving Mako and Bolin’s things to the house, I couldn’t help but find myself watching Korra.  I watched her laugh, crack her own jokes, and just be herself.  I could tell underneath she was hiding the hurt of finding out who Leu really was, how she couldn’t have seen through his charade when they had been dating before.  Standing there, watching her tough through this, made me think back to what Opal had said earlier in the evening.  _Had I really fallen for my best friend?_ The flutter that engulfed my chest after I mentally asked that question confirmed that I had.

* * *

 

Life just loved proving that it could get worse.  A few days after Amon’s attack, Cabbage Corp, one of Dad’s biggest rivals, was found to have Equalist ties.  This put a lot of people on edge at school, especially for Ralph Gan-Lan.  As I stood at my locker, putting my things away and getting ready to head home, I saw as several benders began their already-tiring tirade on him.  They began pushing him around, calling him lousy names they made up on the spot. 

I slammed my locker shut, storming over to the bullies. “Enough.  Leave the poor guy alone,” I said, my hands clenched.

The leader looked up, smiling when he saw me. “And what are you going to do about it, Sato?  You a part of that Equalist movement too?”

“No, but I sure as hell won’t let you pick on someone like Ralph.  He doesn’t deserve it,” I said, standing toe to toe with the leader.

He smirked at me. “Tahno and Zolt didn’t deserve to have their bending taken away because they were benders.  Neither did those who were around them at the time.  Just because we were born with our gifts doesn’t mean people like you and Ralph and this Equalist movement can just come in and take it away because you’re different than us.”

I was ready to knock his lights out for trying to put me with the Equalist movement when a familiar voice broke into our conversation.

“Yun, I hope you have a good reason for beating up little Ralphy here.  Because if you don’t, then we’re going to have a problem,” I heard Korra say from behind me, knuckles cracking soon after.

Yun’s expression dropped. “We-we were just leaving,” he said as he and his friends backed away from Korra and I.

Korra moved so that she was standing beside me, a smile on her face. “Good.  Now beat it,” she said, nodding towards the entrance to the school.

It didn’t take them long to run out of the school.  I went over to Ralph, helping him to his feet. “You ok?” I asked.

He nodded slowly. “I will be.  Thanks,” he said, looking up at Korra. “Thank you.”

She smiled softly at him. “You didn’t deserve that.  You didn’t do anything wrong.”

He looked down, clenching his fists. “Korra, I know my dad.  This isn’t something he’d get mixed into.  Someone’s trying to frame us and a lot of other companies around Republic City.”

Korra’s expression turned serious. “If that’s true, then we’ll stop them.”

Ralph nodded, bidding us goodbyes as he turned to leave.  I watched him leave before turning my attention to Korra.  She sighed and rubbed the back of her head.

“Sorry; I know you’ve handled that yourself, but I don’t think your dad would like you getting in trouble at school after what happened at the arena,” she said with a small smile.

I shrugged. “Made for an interesting end to the day, at least.”

“Any plans for the rest of the day?” Korra asked as we walked out of the school, eyeing Bolin, Mako, and Opal waiting by my car.

I smiled. “Course.  Why don’t you come join us?"

She laughed as we met up with the three by my car. “Just what do you plan on doing?”

I opened the driver’s door, letting Bolin, Mako, and Opal pile into the backseat, while Korra jumped into the front passenger’s side.  I smiled as she buckled her seatbelt in. “Swimming, of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, alright! You all were right. Happy? I'm just happy to have finally kicked Leu's ass.
> 
> Asami <3


	15. Just Keep Swimming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pool party at Asami's!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soccet here!
> 
> Thank you all for the well wishes. Being sick in the middle of summer is miserable to say the least. Also, we're over 5000 views! You guys are amazing.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

“Earthbending bomb!” Bolin shouted as he jumped into the pool with Pabu.

Water splashed up and out, but it didn’t reach the edges of the pool.  I laughed with Opal from our seats next to the pool.  The boys had managed to beat us in changing and were already in the pool when we came out.  Korra was currently still changing; she had been adamant about meeting us out at the pool.  I set my towel down on the back of my chair, running my hands down the sides of my dark purple one piece.  I had just recently bought it for at home practice and thought it was perfect timing to break it in.  Opal was wearing a green two piece that complimented her eyes.  I snickered when I saw Bolin pause in the pool to watch her place her towel on her chair.

Hearing my snicker, Opal looked up at me. “What?” she asked, walking over to me.

I pointed to Bolin, who immediately ducked underneath the water. “Someone likes your choice of swimwear,” I answered, a smile on my face.

Opal’s cheeks went red.  I chuckled, nudging her with my elbow gently, and began to walk towards the pool.  Sitting down on the edge of the pool, I dipped my feet slowly into the water.  I shivered as I moved my feet into the water so that the edge was up to my ankles.  Opal soon joined me as the boys began to swim over to us.

“Where’s Korra?” Mako asked, treading water just a couple feet in front of Opal and I.

I looked over my shoulder towards the door to the pool.  _Still no sign of her._ “She was still changing when we left,” I said, turning my attention back to the boys.

It was then that I heard the door to the pool open.  Mako’s and Bolin’s jaws both dropped as they looked at the new arrival, prompting me to turn around.  _Damn.  Now I get why they both dropped their jaws._ Standing by the door, a towel in her arm, was Korra.  The light blue two piece she had on was stunning us all; the top featured a flowing water symbol that I assumed to belong to the Southern Water tribe, and the shorts fit her hips at just all the right angles as waves decorated the edges of the sides.  _Not to mention how it completely compliments her toned six pack abs.  Spirits, please don't let me make a fool of myself right now._ She walked over to the chairs, setting her towel down on the seat before pulling her wolf tail braids out and letting her hair flow freely down her back.

“Dang girl.  Talk about knock dead gorgeous,” Opal called.

Korra smiled, walking over to our gathered group. “Thanks, Opal.  It’s one of my favorites.”

_It’s quickly becoming one of mine._  Not wanting Korra to see the obvious blush I knew I had on my cheeks from that thought, I slid quickly into the pool.  I swam to the other side, hoping to by myself enough time to center myself.  Feeling that I had my feelings under control, I turned around in the water, only to come face-to-face with Korra.

She smiled. “What was that all about?” she asked.

I was praying my hardest that I wasn’t blushing by how close she was to me.  _Spirits…PLEASE don’t let me make a fool of myself right now.  Please!_ “What was what about?”

She looked at me confused. “You just getting into the pool all quick and suddenly and swimming far away from us.”

“Oh…uh well…I haven’t swam in a while, and I just wanted to get used to the water again,” I said, trying to think of a better excuse but not finding one.  _Damn it…please don’t see right through me._

She watched me for a minute before smiling. “I wouldn’t really call this swimming.  It’s more relaxation floating to me,” she said, demonstrating by laying on her back and floating away from me.

I rolled my eyes, splashing water over at her. “Call it what you want, Korra, but I love to swim, whether leisurely or competitively.”

That caught her interest.  She straightened up, splashing water back at me as she treaded in front of me. “You swim competitively?”

I nodded, opting to swim down towards the deeper end.  I smiled when she began to follow me. “I swim for the school’s team, and the season’s just around the corner.”

The smile that appeared on her face was stunning. “Sounds like I need to go talk with the head coach about getting on the team.”

I laughed, splashing water at her. “Think it’s that easy to get on the team, huh?”

“Hey, I’ve been around water my entire life!  It better be that easy to make the swim team!” she replied, splashing back at me.

We splashed back and forth at each other, laughing with each hit, for several minutes afterwards.  There were several instances where Korra managed to hit me with small waterbending splashes, which earned her larger counters from me.  Finally tiring ourselves out, we stopped our splashing and laughed at the silliness of the situation.

“You two done yet?” Opal called from the other end of the pool.

I looked over at Korra, who had a devilish smile on her face. “Want to race back?” she asked.

I smiled back. “You’re on.”

Without another word, I dove underneath the water, swimming as fast as I could back towards Opal and the boys.  Soon enough, I found myself neck and neck with Korra.  _Damn she’s good._ Even with my longer wingspan, Korra was able to keep up with the pace I had set.  We made it back to them in a tie to my surprise.

“Damn Korra, you’ve got speed!” Bolin said with amazement.

Pulling her hair back to get the excess water out, Korra smiled at him. “And that’s without using any waterbending to give myself an advantage,” she said proudly.

Mako smirked at her. “Well, if you plan on making the team, you should know that Asami’s the best swimmer at school, so it’ll be hard to knock her off the top spot.”

Korra looked at me before turning back to Mako. “I’m not worried.  At least I know that if it’s me against Asami, I’ll have a challenge.”

I laughed. “Same to you.”

We all began laughing.  _Spirits, it felt good to just hang out with everyone and not have to worry about anything around us._ I leaned up against the edge of the pool, my arms resting on the ledge.  For once, it felt good to just sit and do nothing but smile and laugh.  It was hard to remember when the last time I let myself relax for longer than five minutes.  With Amon and school, my mind was always racing, always thinking about something.  Yet now, none of that was on my mind.

“So, Asami, what are you going to do for the upcoming Talent Show?” Mako asked, leaning against the adjacent wall.

Korra looked at him confused, pulling herself up onto the ledge beside me. “Talent show?”

Bolin smiled. “Yeah; Republic City High does a talent show every fall as a fundraiser.  Awards are given out to the best acts, and Asami’s won an award each year.”

I sighed. “I don’t really know if I want to be in the Talent Show this year or not, guys.  It’s always the same acts that perform, and I feel like that they only give me an award because everyone else has some subpar performance that doesn’t get the audience going,” I said, slowly pulling myself up onto the ledge.

“Well, what have you done in the past?” Korra asked, the intrigued expression on her face focused on me.

I looked up, thinking about the past three years. “Well, freshman year I did a dance routine; sophomore year I did a martial arts demonstration; and then last year, Opal and I did a cheerleading routine.”

Opal smiled at the memory. “I still say you should’ve went out for the squad this year, Asami.”

I frowned. “And have to listen to Ginger complain every day about whatever new boy she had hanging on her arm?  No thanks,” I said, leaning back on my hands.

“Well, it’s your last year, so why not do it one more time?  I’m sure you have some hidden talent that’ll surprise all of us,” Korra suggested.

Bolin’s eyes went wide when Korra mentioned the words ‘hidden talent.’ “She sings!  Asami, you should sing for your last year!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together at the idea.

I shook my head. “What?  Bolin, you’re crazy.  I can’t go out and sing in front of everyone; I’m not that good.”

Opal, who had maneuvered herself so that she was sitting on my left, playfully pushed me to the side. “Oh, shut up.  You’re a great singer, and I think it’s a great idea.”

Mako and Korra agreed, and suddenly I was voluntold to participate in the Talent Show.  I mentally groaned at the thought of having to perform again.  _I would’ve just liked to spend some time at home with everyone instead of having to sing out in front of a whole bunch of people who could care less._ At least Bolin had volunteered to be my guitarist for the talent show. 

The rest of the day went on smoothly.  We paid a visit out to the track, where I was able to show off my driving skills against one of our test drivers.  By the time we had made it back to the house, Bolin rushed himself to the nearest bathroom.  Opal sighed as we watched him sprint down the hallway; we all laughed at her embarrassment for him.

“Speaking of bathrooms, I’m going to head upstairs and use that one real quick,” Korra said with a smile.  _Always with a smile whenever she’s near me._

I smiled back. “We’ll be in the entertainment room.”

She nodded and left for the upstairs bathroom.  Mako stayed behind to wait for Bolin to return, while Opal and I made our way down to the entertainment room.  It was quiet for a few minutes before Opal spoke up.

“So…what are you going to sing at the talent show?” she asked, her hands behind her back.

I shrugged. “I don’t really know yet.  I have a feeling you’re going to give me an idea, though.”

She smiled, moving in front of me but continuing to move with me towards the entertainment room. “Why don’t you sing a song to sweep Korra off her feet?”

I could feel the warmth rush to my cheeks. “Absolutely not!”

Opal frowned as we reached the room. “Why not?”

“Well for one, I don’t even know if she goes that way in the first place.  Second, if she does, I don’t even know if she feels the same way as I do.  There are so many things that could and can go wrong with that idea,” I explained, plopping down into my favorite seat.

Choosing her seat next to mine, Opal leaned her elbows onto the arm rest. “You never know unless you try, Asami.”

I rubbed the sides of my head. “I’ve known her for about four months and just figured out that I like her, and you want me to sing a song to sweep her off her feet?  Really Opal?” I asked, looking at her.

She shrugged, smiling at me. “Basically.”

I groaned, but the boys’ entrance cut off any more of that conversation’s potential to turn worse.  They took their seats to our left, Bolin immediately thinking about what snacks he was going to ask the butler to bring.  He had just made his decisions out loud when Korra walked in, her expression grim.  We all sat up in our seats when we saw her.

“Korra, what’s wrong?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Nothing.  I just…I have to watch the airbender kids tonight, and I have some homework I need to catch up on.  I just wanted to let you guys know I was heading out for the night,” she said before she promptly left the room.

I got up, rushing after her.  I grabbed her hand, pulling her to a stop. “Hey, what’s going on?”

The look she gave me, one of internal conflict, gave away that something was definitely up, but she wasn’t going to budge on what it was.  She shook her head, giving me a hug before she ran out of the house.  I watched her leave, a feeling of dread as to what was wrong.  It wasn’t like Korra to leave like this, to leave this upset.  Something had happened in the house that had set her off, and it concerned me that I didn’t know what it was.

* * *

 

The next day, Korra was quiet at school.  She hung out with us, but whatever was on her mind was overpowering.  She was so un-Korra that I felt as if she had been replaced by some type of robot.  I spoke to Opal about my concerns, but she was as clueless as to what was currently bothering Korra as I was.  Even Varrick, with his crazy inventions he brought with him today, couldn’t get a smart remark out of her. 

She left school right after it ended, not bothering to say goodbye or answering if she was going to hang out with us.  Korra being not herself today affected all of us, so we decided that we’d get her together with us tonight to get her mind off of whatever was bothering her.  What I hadn’t planned on was finding out what was wrong when I got home.

Pulling up to the house, I saw Chief Beifong’s patrol car and Tenzin’s car parked outside.  Pulling into my spot, I quickly grabbed my things and made my way inside.  Korra was standing by the staircase with the butler, a grim look on her face.  When she saw me, a flash of a smile came across her face before it quickly disappeared.

“Korra?  What’s going on?” I asked as I walked over to her.

She looked at me for a minute before sighing. “Asami, I…I think your dad’s involved with the Equalist movement.”

I looked at Korra, dumbfounded by her accusation.  _She thinks that…that Dad is an Equalist?_ “What are you talking about?”

“I overheard him talking about Cabbage Corp and I-“ she started to explained, but I was already furious.

“You spied on my dad, and now you’re accusing him of being an Equalist?” I yelled, not waiting for an answer as I made my way to Dad’s office.

I could hear Korra following me as I made my way down the hall.  I pushed open the doors hard, finding Chief Beifong and Tenzin in the midst of talking with Dad. “Just because we’re not benders doesn’t mean we’re with the Equalists!” I shouted as I entered the room.

Dad’s expression changed from relaxed to alarmed. “Equalists?  Is this what this meeting’s about?  I can assure you that I and Future Industries have nothing to do with those radicals.”

By Korra’s frown, I could tell that she wasn’t convinced. “I heard you talking about Cabbage Corp and its investigation.  How it was giving you time and you were about to strike,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

It was then that Dad began to laugh. “Is that what this is about?  I assure you, it’s just a misunderstanding.  Cabbage Corp was Future Industries’s leading competitor, and the investigation, while unfortunate for Cabbage Corp, is allowing us to provide new product out without need to wonder about any counters,” Dad explained to Korra, Chief Beifong, and Tenzin.

To be on the safe side, according to Chief Beifong and Tenzin, every Future Industries factory was searched.  Even Dad’s headquarters were searched to make sure of no Equalist involvement.  It was late before the factory searches ended.  I watched as the last of the metalbending police officers left the main factory, my arms across my chest in an effort to keep from letting my anger go out of control.

Korra was speaking with Chief Beifong and Tenzin.  After a brief nod, she began to look around.  I could see her eyes light up for a moment when she found me, and I felt a brief flutter in my chest, but I was too angry at her and this whole ‘Equalist ties’ stuff to react properly.

“Are they happy now after having searched every factory and finding nothing?” I asked as she made her way over to me.

Korra frowned at the anger on my voice. “Asami, I know what I heard.  Something’s up,” she said calmly.

I shook my head. “Well you’re wrong, Korra.  I know my dad; I know he wouldn’t get involved into something like this.  He’s a good man,” I said before I left for my car.

I didn’t bother waiting for a response as I peeled out of the area.  I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand as I drove down the streets.  _How could she even think to accuse Dad of being one of those…those…those criminals!  I thought she was better than that._ I shook my head.  I knew I couldn’t stay mad at her, but it was going to be a long couple days before I could even talk to her again.  I was too angry tonight to think straight.  If only I wasn’t so angry, then maybe I could’ve seen that Korra was onto something.  Something that would change my entire world forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soccet wrote a really long chapter this week, guys. Guess that's what happens when you can't really do much during the day. And yes, still a bit ticked off for the accusations made against my dad.
> 
> Asami <3


	16. The Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami learns the truth about her father's project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soccet here!
> 
> Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. So far we are halfway through Book 1, so we are halfway through this fic, but don't be alarmed! Plans are in motion for a couple more books. Next up though: Talent Show!! Everyone gets to see Asami sing!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> Soccet13

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my eyes, as Bolin and Pabu began to dig into the plate of food the butler had brought them.  Mako and Opal were sitting on either side of me, concern written over their faces.  They knew I was upset, but they also knew that right now I didn’t want to talk.  _Spirits…I’m so damn mad at Korra, yet I’m not.  There was no evidence of Dad having Equalist ties; they searched EVERYWHERE.  Yet she was still adamant that he has something to do with them._ I ran my hand down over my face.

“Asami, everything’s going to be alright.  Everyone’s just stressed out over this whole movement.  Once it’s gone, then everything will be back to normal,” Opal said, gently taking my hand.

I yanked it back. “Korra didn’t accuse your father of something horrible, Opal!  She didn’t accuse him of wanting to hurt people that you care about because they’re benders!” I yelled.

I instantly regretted it.  The look on Opal’s face was…was heartbreaking.  I sighed, pulling her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

She nodded slowly, returning my hug.  She knew I didn’t mean to yell at her, that my emotions were just running really high right now because of tonight.  I leaned back into my seat, about to take a minute to gather my thoughts and to rethink everything about tonight, when several metalbending police officers slammed the doors to the common room open.  We all jumped, and Bolin squealed a little as he raised his hands into the air.

My anger, which had just begun to simmer, instantly started to boil once again. “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” I shouted, jumping to my feet.

Chief Beifong entered the room, followed by Tenzin and Korra.  I looked at Korra accusingly; she looked down slightly before lifting her head up in a confident manner.  _What the hell are you doing now, Korra?_

“We have reason to believe there’s a hidden factory beneath the mansion,” Chief Beifong said, looking around the room.  
  
“What?  Are you crazy?  I think I would’ve known if there was a secret factory underneath my own house,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

Tenzin looked around. “Where is your father, Asami?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “So you can accuse him some more?  The lies that you make up to persecute him is sickening,” I said, turning my gaze to Korra.

I could see the shift in her figure as she looked back at me. “Please, Asami.  Where’s your father at?” she asked softly, less threatening than Chief Beifong or Tenzin had.

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “He’s in his workshop behind the house.”

* * *

 

I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Chief Beifong had just metalbent open the secret door to a tunnel in Dad’s workshop.  _A secret tunnel!  Please, Dad, don’t be involved in anything.  Please don’t let Korra be right about this._ Yet, somehow I felt like I already knew the answer.  Chief Beifong was getting ready to descend down into the tunnel with Tenzin, Korra, and all but one of her metalbending officers.  The last officer was to wait with us while the rest of them searched the tunnel for Dad. 

I looked at Korra, who had taken her spot beside Chief Beifong.  _Why.  Why did you have to be right about this, Korra?_ As if hearing my thoughts, Korra turned around to look at me.  The sadness that filled her face as if she were looking for forgiveness from me.  I clasped my hands in front of  me, silently praying that this was all a huge mistakes, that Dad had nothing to do with the Equalist movement and they would return empty handed.

We could hear as the lift began its descent, taking them far into the tunnel to who knows where.  Officer Song, the officer left in charge of us, watched it.  I clenched my fists to my sides, furious that we were waiting here while everyone else was getting answers.  I felt Opal wrap her hand around one of my fists.

“They’ll figure this out,” she whispered to me, her eyes never leaving Officer Song.

I sighed. “I just…this is killing me, Opal.  I don’t know what’s going on, and it’s underneath my own house.  How could this have happened in the first place? 

Mako took a step towards me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know, Asami, but we’re going to get some answers.”

A large door slam originating from the tunnel made us all jump.  _Oh no.  What’s going on?_ We all peered down into the tunnel, but nothing was indicating what made that sounds.  I could only assume the worst.

I began to make my way towards the lift that had returned, but Officer Song grabbed my arm. “You are not going anywhere until the Chief gets back,” he said, pulling me back from the entrance of the tunnel.

I yanked my arm out of his grasp, moving to tell him a piece of my mind about the entire situation itself, when Mako put his hand on my shoulder, shaking his head.  He looked at Bolin and smiled.  They both nodded to each other.

Mako turned his attention back to Officer Song. “Any chance we could wait outside?  It’s really dusty in here,” he asked, rubbing his nose.

Officer Song narrowed his eyes. “No, you’re to remain here.”

“Alright, but if I start to snee…if I start to…” Mako started to say, stuttering as continued to rub his nose.

Officer Song, agitated by Mako’s act, started to take a step towards us when Mako sneezed, causing him to firebend towards Song.  Backpedalling fast away from the firebending, Song was knocked backwards onto his head by a piece of the floor Bolin managed to earthbend at the right minute.  A moment later, Song was tied up to one of the barrels in the workshop, and we were on our way down the tunnel.

The lift stopped at a platform, but we couldn’t tell where at it lead to.  At a closer inspection, my heart stopped at what I saw was hanging from the raptors inside the next room.  His face plastered on them, I saw the flags of Amon’s Equalist movement.  _No.  Dad, what did you do?_ I stared wide-eyed at the posters until Mako put his hands on my shoulders to draw my attention to him.

“Bolin and I are going to go find out what’s going on, ok?  You and Opal need to stay here,” he said, interrupting me before I could get a word out. “I don’t want either of you two getting hurt, Asami.  I know you can take care of yourself, but these men are going to have dangerous weapons designed to hurt benders.  I don’t want you two to get injured trying to help us ok?”

I stared hard at him, trying to get him to budge, but he wasn’t going to.  I sighed. “Alright.  We’ll wait here, but you need to hurry.”

Mako smiled softly at me. “We will.”

Then they were off.  Bolin earthbent a tunnel underneath the room, covering up the opening so that we couldn’t follow.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to stop me from getting into the next room to find answers to my own questions.  Grabbing Opal’s hand, I pulled her along as I made my way into the room.  There was a large, platinum wall in front of us, and by the sounds coming from the other side, a large scale battle had commenced.

“Asami, what are you doing?” Opal asked as we moved over to one of the doors.

“I need answers, Opal, and I’m not letting anyone get hurt under my watch,” I said, opening the door to find a hallway that lead to the other side of the room.

We ran down the hallway only to come across another door.  This door was locked, but there was a number pad directly next to it.  I entered a number, hoping that it wouldn’t unlock the door.  A light flashed green, and the door slid open.  _Damn it, Dad.  What have you gotten into?!_

“How did you know what to enter to unlock it?” I heard Opal ask as we ran through the door and continued down the hall.

I sighed. “It was my mother’s birthday.”

The fighting in the next room had stopped.  We found the exit to the hallway, sliding it open.  I stepped out first but stopped after only a few steps.  I could see trucks being loaded with the officers by Amon’s chi blockers.  I could see Mako and Bolin carrying Tenzin and Korra with Chief Beifong at their feet.  Worst of all, I could see Dad.  He was standing next to Leu, shock gloves like the ones used at the arena attack on both of his hands.  The gloves began to light up as Dad and Leu began to walk towards them.  _No.  Stop.  STOP._

“Dad, stop!” I shouted.

He froze with Leu, turning to see Opal and I standing behind them.  His facial expression, previously angry and agitated, dropped at the sight of me, my hand clenched above my heart.  I could feel the tears start to well in my eyes.

“Why?” Opal asked, holding onto my free hand.

Dad dropped his aggressive stance, taking small steps in small intervals as he walked towards us. “Asami, I wanted to keep you out of this for as long as I could, but now that you know, please forgive me.  People like them…these benders…they took your mother away from me, from us.  The love of my life is gone because of them; they’ve ruined the world around us,” he began to explain as a chi blocker walked over to Leu.

“With Amon, we can build a perfect world together, helping people like us,” he said, sliding a glove off as the chi blocker brought over a second glove. “You, me, Opal, Leu; we can all do this together, to help Amon change the world for the better.  Join us, girls.”

They held the gloves out, but I could feel Opal’s grip tighten on my hand. “Are you crazy?  Half of my family are benders.  My grandmother is Toph Beifong!  I could never do that to them.  I could never do that to anyone.”

I let go of her hand as I stared at the glove.  _A world…without benders.  Everyone would be equal and the same._ I began to walk towards Dad, my eyes still on the glove.  Opal tried to keep me from moving, but I pulled my hand away from hers again.  My shaking hand reached out, taking the glove out of Dad’s hand.  I could see Mako’s expression dropped at the thought of me joining Amon’s cause.  I slipped the glove on, watching as I allowed for the electricity to glow in the palm of the glove for the first time.

Then I looked up and saw Korra was awake.  Those blue eyes were staring at me with wonder, with curiosity.  They were filled with fear at the thought of me becoming an Equalist.  I looked at her first with anger.  Then I realized why I was angry.  I was never angry at her; I was angry at myself, at my father, for letting this happen in the first place.  All the hurt that Korra had been suffering through, that other innocent people had been suffering through, was in large part due to my father.  I should’ve seen it earlier; the signs were there.  He was working more with the company; he was more secretive with what topics he’d talk about.  I should’ve seen it before, but I was so convinced that everyone else was wrong, that my father was too above the standard to have been a part of the movement that was ruining other people’s lives.

I looked at Dad, at his smile even if it were for the wrong reasons, then I closed my eyes. “I love you, Dad.”

I caught him off guard, pressing the palm of the glove against his chest and electrocuting him.  Leu sprinted at me, but I kicked the first baton out of his hand and used the second one to electrocute him.  They both laid unconscious at my feet, but I didn’t move.  I could hear the movement of the suits I saw when we first came into the room, but I didn’t move.

“We need to get out of here,” I heard Mako say, but it wasn’t until I felt someone’s hands on my shoulders did I finally start to move.

Bolin opened up a new exit for us.  We helped move Chief Beifong and Tenzin in first as they were helped by Mako and Opal, then Korra followed.  I moved into the new tunnel, followed closely by Bolin as he closed the opening.  Bolin moved in front of us, earthbending us a way out towards the police airship that they had arrived in.  Once we had made it safely away from the warehouse, Bolin opened up an exit close to the airship, allowing for us to quickly move Chief Beifong and Tenzin onto the airship.

Mako laid Chief Beifong down on one of the benches while I got the airship started.  Officer Song, after hearing the commotion ran onto the ramp just as it began to close.  He saw all of us, anger turning to confusion.

“What’s going on?” he asked, coming over to the controls of the airship.

Tenzin had woken up as the airship lifted into the air. “Hiroshi Sato had planned an ambush for us, and we fell right into it.”

“The others?” Song asked, looking towards his chief.

She turned her head towards the back of the bench. “They’re on their way to Amon.  I failed as Police Chief.  Tomorrow, I’m turning in my resignation.”

Tenzin whipped his head around to face her as soon as the words left her mouth. “Lin, you can’t be serious?  You can’t give up like this.”

“I’m not giving up,” she said, slowly sitting up and wrapping her arm around her stomach. “I have to find my officers, and I’m going to do it my way outside the law.”

I watched as the airship moved farther away from my house.  I wiped my eyes, not wanting anyone around me to see me cry.  _My life’s over.  When word gets out, I’ll have nothing._ A hand rested gently on my shoulder, startling me a little.  I turned to find Korra standing next to me, a tiny smile on her face.

“Hi,” she said before looking down. “I’m sorry for what happened tonight. I-“

I didn’t let her finish.  I wrapped my arms around her neck, pulling her in for a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Korra.  All those things that I said to you, how mean I was to you, and you were just trying to look out for me.  I’m so sorry,” I said, already on the verge of crying.

She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight back. “Asami, you had every right to be mad at me.  I didn’t have a single shred of proof to show you.  I deserved all of that.”

I leaned back, shaking my head. “No you didn’t, Korra.  I should’ve seen the signs earlier; I should’ve believed you.  You had done nothing before to break my trust, and I threw you under the bus the moment you tried to keep me from getting hurt.  I just hope you can forgive me.”

A moment passed in silence, and as I was about to pull back, Korra’s arms wrapped around me tightly. “How could I not?  You’re my best friend, Asami,” she said with that wide smile I loved on her face.

A flutter in my chest passed again, and I couldn’t help but think about what would’ve happened if I had stayed mad at her.  I mentally shook my head.  _No, I could never stay that mad at her, no matter what happens._ It was then that I realized how much Korra had changed my life.  She continued to risk her safety for mine, her happiness for mine.  Yet, I had acted like a complete jerk, accusing her of lying when all she was doing was trying to keep me from hurting. 

_Spirits…I really have fallen in love with her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can only imagine where Soccet is going to take my story now that she's think about writing sequels. I guess I just have to prepare for the talent show and focus on that. Meh.
> 
> -Asami <3


	17. Let Me Hear You Sing!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talent show, and Asami's not the only one showing off her talents.

School was as bad as I thought it was going to be.  Whispers followed everywhere I seemed to go.  The eyes followed everywhere.  I could barely keep focused on the work in front of me.  Collecting my things, I quickly packed them into my bag, leaving the classroom and practically running out the front of the school to my Satomobile.  I didn’t want anyone to see me crying; I didn’t want anyone to see how badly everything the past week had affected me.

I was almost to my car when I felt a hand grab my arm.  Turning around, frustration boiling over, I was about to rip a new one into whoever had grabbed my arm but stopped when I saw who it was.  The sad understanding on her face instantly calmed my anger, and the tears started to flow when she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

“That bad?” Korra asked.  I hugged her back tightly, nodding slowly.

After we stood there for a moment, she pulled back, taking my hand and walking me over to my car.  Opening the back passenger side door, she sat me down before handing me a water bottle.  She knelt beside me as I took small sips from the water bottle, patiently waiting for me to calm down.

“I’m sorry, Asami,” she said softly after I sat the water bottle down on my lap.

I wiped my eyes slowly. “It’s not your fault, Korra.  My father’s the one who made those decisions.  He’s the reason everything’s like this.”

We sat there in silence, waiting for me to calm down.  Wiping my eyes with my sleeve again, I took in a deep breath.  Sensing that I was done thinking about the talk about my father, Korra smiled as she tried to lighten the mood.

“So, the talent show’s tonight,” she said. “What song have you picked out to sing?”

I rubbed my eyes, leaning forward and resting my head between my hands. “I don’t even think I can go up on the stage and sing tonight, Korra.  All anyone is going to do once they see me is start talking about my father, and I can’t deal with that right now.”

I felt her take my hands in her, forcing me to look at her. “Then don’t let them talk about him, Asami.  Show them that they should be talking about Asami the person, not Asami, Hiroshi’s daughter,” she said, the concern for me written all over her face.

_Spirits, what did I do to deserve someone like her._ I nodded slowly. “Are you going to be there tonight, at least?”

She smiled that wide smile. “Of course.  All of your friends are going to be there tonight to support you.”

I chuckled softly. “Need a Hero.”

Korra tilted her head to the side confused. “What?” she asked.

“The song I’m going to sing.  It’s called Need a Hero.  Bolin and Opal talked me into doing my own version of it,” I clarified.

She laughed. “Of course they would.  So are you ready for tonight?”

I smiled softly. “If you’re going to be there, then I’ll be ready.”

She smiled back with that smile I loved, and it felt as if the world around us disappeared.  This beautiful girl was in front of me, my best friend of all things, and I was in love with her.  She knew how to cheer me up; she knew how to make me smile.  She was willing to do the things that others I had been with were unwilling to do.  _Yet, I don’t even know if she feels the same way that I do.  And I might not ever find out._

Korra looked at me, concern registering on her face. “Asami?”

I blinked twice, looking at her. “Yeah?”

“You ok?  You kind of zoned-out on me,” she said. “Something up?”

I shook my head. “Just thinking about tonight.”

I watched as she sat down in front of me. “What about tonight?”

I looked up at the sky, the clear blue sky, before returning my gaze to her. “I was just thinking about how I’m ready for it to be over with already,” I said with a smile.

* * *

 

_Where is he!_ Standing with the microphone in my hand, I continued to look for Bolin.  It was almost my turn to go out on the stage, and he was nowhere to be found.  I groaned at the thought of doing this without him.  _And he said he’d be here on time._ I peeked my head out of the curtain; of course the entire auditorium would be packed for this. 

I sighed, stepping away from the curtain, and looked down at the microphone.  As if this week couldn’t get any worse, this was about to make the top of the list.  I couldn’t sing without someone accompanying me, and I had no way of getting the music in the three minutes I had left until the performance.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, about to go find the nearest stage hand, when Korra ran up to me with a guitar case in her hand.  I looked at her confused as she stopped to catch her breath.

“Sorry I’m late.  Mom was late dropping me off,” she apologized with a smile as she rubbed the back of her head.

I blinked twice, trying to comprehend what she meant. “Korra, shouldn’t you be in the audience?”

Korra looked at me. “Didn’t Bolin tell you?  Mako’s car broke down on their way over,” she explained as she fixed the tie she was wearing.  I couldn’t help but stare at her choice of outfit:  a white dress shirt with blue tie and black dress pants.  _She knows how to dress to impress, that’s for sure._

I rubbed my face.  Lifting my hand to tell her that I wasn’t going to sing, a stage hand picked the perfect time to come tell me that it was my turn.  Smiling, Korra pulled her guitar out and began to make her way out onto the stage.

“Come on; you’re up!” she said, walking out to the stool they had left out on the stage for the performance.

I watched her take a seat out on the stool, tuning her guitar before looking at me expectedly.  I sighed, taking a deep breath before walking out onto the stage.  A small collection of gasps as my slim, dark red dress flowed out slightly behind me during my walk out onto the stage.  Thankfully, I had chosen to wear matching red flats, so I wasn’t going to be cursing myself tomorrow morning.

I looked out at the crowd, seeing a few familiar faces.  Zhu Li was with Varrick as he worked on some invention that probably had to do with recording.  Opal was sitting with the Airbenders, and…there was Bolin and Mako, smiling wide smiles at me.  I narrowed my eyes at them when realization hit as to what they were doing.  _They are so in trouble for this._

Korra began to play the song slowly, just as I had taught Bolin to play it, and I was surprised to see how gracefully she played the guitar.  It was easy to find the rhythm, and it flowed as gentle as if you were swimming in the music.  I gently swayed with the music, lifting the mike to my mouth.

_Where have all the good women gone_

_And where are all the gods?_

_Where’s the street-wise Hercules_

_To fight the rising odds?_

_Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?_

_Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need_

As I sung, I could see the audience begin to quiet down, their attention focusing on Korra and I.  I smiled softly, looking over at Korra as she played and I continued singing.

_I need a hero_

_I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night_

_She’s gotta be strong, she’s gotta be fast_

_And she’s gotta be fresh from the fight_

_I need a hero_

_I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light_

_She’s gotta be sure, she’s gotta be soon_

_And she’s gotta be larger than life, larger than life_

I looked out at the crowd, seeing the smiles on their faces at our performance.  I turned my attention to Opal, who raised both her thumbs up at me with a giant smile on her face.

_Somewhere after midnight_

_In my wildest fantasies_

_Somewhere just beyond my reach_

_There’s someone reaching back for me_

_Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat_

_Isn’t there a superwoman to sweep me off my feet?_

I slowly began to sway my hips to Korra’s guitar, finally relaxing as I continued to sing.

_I need a hero_

_I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night_

_She’s gotta be strong, she’s gotta be fast_

_And she’s gotta be fresh from the fight_

_I need a hero_

_I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light_

_She’s gotta be sure, she’s gotta be soon_

_And she’s gotta be larger than life_

The tempo slightly changing, I opened my mouth to start the next verse when I heard Korra start to sing behind me.

_Up where the mountains meet the heavens above_

_Out where the lightning splits the sea_

_I could swear that there’s someone somewhere watching me_

I turned and watched her sing the first two lines with her eyes closed.  Her eyes opened slowly, looking at me as she sung the third line.  Leaving off for me to continue, I raised the mike back up to my mouth and picked up where she left off.

_Through the wind and the chill and the rain_

_And the storm and the raging flood_

_Oh, her approach is like a fire in my blood_

I could hear cheering from the audience, but my focus was on the performance and Korra.  My eyes were locked in on hers as I continued to sing.

_I’ll meet a hero_

_And then we’ll dance ‘til the morning light_

_Dreaming, she’ll lead me_

_Held tight,_

_Tonight’s the night_

She smiled at the verse, joining me in the last verse.

_I need a hero_

_I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night_

_She’s gotta be strong, she’s gotta be fast_

_And she’s gotta be fresh from the fight_

_I need a hero_

_I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light_

_She’s gotta be sure, she’s gotta be soon_

_And she’s gotta be larger than life, larger than life_

Korra played out the rest of the song.  The auditorium erupted into applause and cheering, a standing ovation for the two of us.  I vaguely remember the rest of the night.  There was an award for our performance, but I couldn’t remember it.  Everyone wanted to congratulate us on our performance, but I ignored them.  People wanted to know who the song was actually for, but I was looking straight at her.

There she was, smiling as she accepted everyone’s compliments on the performance.  If you knew her as well as I did, you could see how uncomfortable she was with all the praise.  Just by watching her talk with people, you could see how well she was with them.  It didn’t matter if she was the Avatar or not; she could be almost anyone’s friend if there was a willingness between the two.

Excusing myself from the crowd of people, I left the school and headed out to my car.  I didn’t want to interrupt Korra and her crowd of new fans.  In truth, I didn’t want to be around people who hated me for my father’s actions yet praised me for my performance, pretending to like me.  I pulled out my keys, unlocking my car, when I heard footsteps running up behind me.  I turned to find Korra running over.

I set my keys on my seat, turning to face her. “Everything ok, Korra?”

Stopping and setting her guitar down, she nodded, taking a moment to catch her breath. “You were…amazing tonight,” she said once she had calmed her breathing.

I smiled gently. “Thanks; you were great, too.  I didn’t know you sang though.”

She smiled that goofy smile of hers, rubbing the back of her neck. “Not as great as you do.”

I shook my head, holding my hands in front of me. “You did great, Korra.  You’re not just a one-trick poodle-pony it looks like,” I said, laughing a little at one of Bolin’s sayings.

She laughed with me. “I guess not.”

We stood there, smiling at each other, the silence between us comfortable.  She looked down at her hands, a slight blush escaping out onto her cheeks. “So uh…who was the song for?  Because I know that it’s not originally supposed to be talking about a girl,” she asked.

I felt a blush of my own start to creep up. “Um…well uh…she’s really special to me.”

“Oh,” Korra replied, sounding slightly defeated.

A slight rush of fear ran through me, and before I knew it, my hands had reached out to grasp hers. “It was for you,” I found myself blurting out, my face turning red at the realization of my words.

She looked up at me surprised, and we stood there, my hands holding hers.  Slowly, I found myself leaning towards her, and she didn’t move away from me.  _She’s so close.  She’s not moving away.  She’s just…she’s so…and I…_ Then I heard Mako start yelling my name.

“Asami!  Asami where are you!” he shouted from the steps of the school.

Hearing his shouts, Korra and I both jumped back.  I silently screamed at myself for jumping as my head looked down slightly, embarrassment running across my face.

I heard a slap and looked up in time to see Opal’s hand behind Mako’s head. “You idiot!  You have terrible timing, you know that?” she said, placing her hands on her hips as she started to scan for me.

“We better go find out what he needs,” Korra suggested, her face as red as I’m sure mine was right now.

I nodded, and we quickly walked over to the steps of the school.  Neither of us said anything when Opal and Mako looked at us with questioning looks.  We went along with the rest of the night, pretending that the almost-kiss didn’t even happen.  Yet, there I was silently dreading the fact that it almost happened.  _Why?  Why did I have to be in love with the Avatar?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone,
> 
> So we decided to do both of our updates at the end of this chapter. I just wanted to say that I DO NOT own the rights to the song or the main lyrics. Also, we made it to 6000 hits, and we haven't even been up for two months yet! Ok, yes, two months is in a couple days, but still! That's amazing! So here's a preview of the next chapter: PARTY!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13
> 
> As for me, I can already tell I'm going to get a lot of crap for the almost-kiss. I BLAME SOCCET OK?! SHE'S ALREADY AWARE I'M PISSED FOR MAKO INTERRUPTING IT!!  
> -Asami <3


	18. Let's Celebrate!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ralph's having a party, and the Krew's been invited!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2 months for Senior Year! It's amazing to see how far it's come since this brainchild of mine started to form. I want to thank you all for enjoying the fic as much as I have. Without further ado, let the chapter commence!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the schematics that were strewn across my desk.  Rubbing the sides of my head, I rolled each of them up and placed them back into their tubes.  _At least my father won’t be able to get ahold of these._ After what I saw he had created, I had packed away all of my schematics I had drawn and brought them with me to Air Temple Island.  I shivered at the thought of my ideas, originally created to protect others, being used to help the Equalist movement gain an advantage.  _I’d rather see them destroyed than in the hands of Amon and my father._ I sighed, looking up at the window in front of me.  The view of Republic City wasn’t as beautiful as the sight from my room back at the house, but it still gave that inspiring view that my mom loved.

I clenched part of my skirt into my fists.  _If only she was here.  Then maybe he wouldn’t have joined that stupid movement in the first place._ I slowly started to release my skirt as tears started to roll down my cheeks.  I had moments where I missed my mother a lot, but when my father used her as an excuse for his involvement, it only made me miss her more.  _She would’ve screamed at him for doing such a thing.  She would’ve…I don’t know.  Probably done more than I had.  Would she have even approved of what I did?_

A knock at the bedroom door snapped me out of my thoughts.  Opal slid the door open and slid it back shut as she entered the room. “Hey, why aren’t you ready yet?” she asked, going over to my closet.

I quickly wiped my eyes so that she didn’t know I was crying. “Sorry, I was just looking over some stuff,” I said, standing up and walking over to her.

She rolled her eyes.  Tonight was Ralph’s party, a celebration for his father being released from police custody and for all the companies that were falsely accused to have their restrictions lifted tomorrow.  I was surprised to find out that I was invited, but Yun had said that my father’s decisions aren’t mine.

_“Asami, even I can see that your character wouldn’t allow you to do something like this.  You care too much for everyone to hurt them,” he said with a smile on his face as he pushed the invitation into my hand._

I was still thinking about what Ralph had said when I registered that Opal was talking to me. “Sorry, what?”

Opal turned, slightly narrowing her eyes at me. “I said we need to wear something flirty tonight, something that’ll make us stand out.”

“I think we’re in the wrong closet then, Opal.  Your mom should be the one picking out the outfits if you want something to impress.  Besides, don’t you have Bolin under your thumb already?” I asked as I started to push several shirts to the side.

Opal grabbed one of the shirts, a dark green one, and held it up in front of her.  I shook my head.  _Doesn’t go well with her eyes._ She looked at the shirts, shrugging as she put it back into the closet. “I do, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have competition at the party.”

Pulling out a scarlet tank and a denim jacket, I held both up for Opal. “How about these?”

She looked at the two and smiled. “Definitely, girl,” she said as she reached into the drawers to pull out a pair of jeans, tossing them at me.  _She knows me too well._

As I started to put the jeans on, she held up red shirt that had gold imagery down both sides and the upper half of the sleeves.  Taking a moment to look at it, I smiled and nodded. “That’s it.  Your jeans are in the bottom drawer.  Try to take them home with you this time.”

She laughed, throwing the shirt onto the bed next to mine. “I can’t help that we have too many sleepovers.”

Pulling the tank on, I walked over to the mirror to grab my brush.  It didn’t take long for me to put make up on, but it was the complete opposite for my hair.  As I began to brush it out, Opal walked over to me and started to model a little.  I smiled.  _She definitely is rocking that outfit; Bolin’s going to love it._ Taking my smile as a sign of approval, Opal began to do her makeup.

“So, how are you and Korra?” she asked with a sly grin.

My brushing stopped, and I could feel my cheeks start to warm. “Well…um…uh…”

Leaning back to look at me, she tilted her head to the side. “Come on, Asami.  We all know she likes you back; take that girl out on a date,” she said, a hand going to her hip.

Quickly going back to my brushing, I looked down a little. “We don’t know that, Opal.  We’re just friends, and I don’t want to ruin that if I’m wrong.”

Opal tilted her head back and groaned before turning her attention back to me. “Really Asami?  Everyone saw her face when she realized during the talent show you had changed the lyrics.  We all saw how her focus went form the audience to solely on you for the rest of the song, AND how she chased after you when she realized you had went out to your car to leave.”

Setting my brush down, I started to put on the minimal makeup I always wore to parties.  My mind, though, went to that night.  To how I found her running up to me, guitar in hand.  How she had asked me who the song was dedicated to.  How I told her it was for her.  How we almost-kissed.  I took a deep breath.  _It was all going well until Mako came out calling for me._ It was then that I realized Opal was staring at me intently with a smile on her face.

“You were just thinking about her weren’t you?” she asked.

“Shut up,” I said softly, turning my head away to try and hide my blush.

She chuckled, tossing me my denim jacket.  I caught it in one hand, sliding it on after finishing my lipstick.  Grabbing my keys and wallet, we walked downstairs, where Korra and the boys were patiently waiting for us.  The boys were both wearing polos of their favorite colors.  I smiled when I saw that Mako wasn’t wearing his scarf.  _It’s rare for him to go anywhere with it._ When I turned my attention to Korra, my breath caught for a second.

She was sitting at the dining table, her arm resting on the back of the chair.  She had black jeans on that went perfectly with the strapless blue top featuring a white swirl on the right hand side.  I smiled to myself when I saw she still had her Water Tribe armband on.  _I bet Opal had a fit about that armband, but it seems that Korra won the battle.  She’s about as bad as Mako is._

“Everyone ready to go?” I asked, twirling my keys around my finger.

Everyone smiled and nodded.  Waving goodbye to Pema and the kids, we made our way out to my Satomobile.  Naga was waiting for us, Pabu on her head.  Jumping to her feet, she ran towards us, launching herself at Korra.  Seeing her dog’s intention, Korra quickly planted her feet, catching Naga and setting her back down on the ground.  Naga licked her face, sensing that Korra was going to be leaving soon.

Scratching Naga’s ear, Korra knelt in front of her. “We’ll be back girl.  Just watch over Pema and the kids ok?”

Naga whined, her puppy dog eyes on full effect.  Korra smiled softly before giving Naga another hug and heading to the Satomobile.  Mako, Bolin, and Opal were piled in the back seat, and I had just gotten into the front.  Not bothering with the door, Korra hoped into the car, a smile wide on her face.  I rolled my eyes, starting the car and driving over to the ferry.

Thanks to it being late in the evening, the ferry ride and drive to Ralph’s didn’t take nearly as long as I had planned out, but it suited us just fine.  As I pulled up in the turnaround, an enthusiastic young man ran out to the car.  I handed him my keys as everyone exited the car, trusting that there wouldn’t be a scratch on it when we left.  Ralph’s house wasn’t nearly as large as mine was, but it was close.  Bolin almost ran up the stairs to the front doors, Opal close behind.  I smiled as I listened to her tell him not to eat so much food tonight.  Mako, Korra, and I slowly made our way up the steps and inside the house.

Most of the attendants were from school, though I did recognize some that had graduated the previous year.  Several of them narrowed their eyes when they recognized me, but majority of them were generally happy to see me out at the party.  I smiled as the three of us began to mingle.  After the week that we had, it felt right to just relax and have fun with others.

* * *

 

_Spirits…my head’s spinning like crazy._ I couldn’t remember how many drinks of Ralph’s special cocktail I had.  One too many it seemed like.  Then there were the shots.  Then…then Mako’s drinks I think.  _Damn it.  I can’t remember._ Getting up slowly, I begun to make my way out back.  Most of the ones still up were either designated drivers trying to get their friends to a bathroom or too drunk to pass out yet.  My head continued to spin, _I think it’s getting worse_ , as I found the back door.  _I just…need some fresh air._

The fresh air hit me in the face hard, but it was refreshing.  Slowly, I made my way out to the large oak tree, sitting against one of its large roots.  I couldn’t remember how much I had to drink, but I could remember most of the events that had transpired, surprisingly.  Bolin having an eating contest, and Opal watching him with a slight disgusted expression.  Mako flirting with some girls only to get into it with the boyfriends of said girls.  Korra downing drinks like she’d been drinking all her life.  _Man, could she handle her alcohol._

I looked back at the house, remember vaguely seeing Opal following Bolin upstairs.  I knew what I saw, but I still would want to ask her about it.  Shaking my head, I knew better than to think such things.  _Bolin’s not one to push someone, especially Opal.  Only way that would be happening is if SHE lead him up the stairs.  Still, wouldn’t hurt to tease her a bit about it later._ I chuckled to myself and leaned more into the root, laying my head back so that I could see through the leaves and up at the stars.

“Beautiful night out?” I heard Korra ask from behind me, causing me to jump and turn around.  Bad idea; my entire vision started to spin, my hand going to the ground for support.

I felt her hands grasped my shoulders to steady me, even though I was still sitting on the ground. “How are you not still drunk?” I asked slowly, my brain still trying to focus.

“Easy.  Go on a lot of fishing trips with your waterbending father and not with your non-waterbending mother,” she said with a smile, leaning me back against the root.

I groaned, placing my cold palm against my forehead.  _Was it that cold out?_ Suddenly, I felt a jacket wrap around my shoulders; it was my denim jacket.  I looked up at Korra, who smiled that goofy smile of hers.

“You left it with me near the beginning of the night.  Something about it being too hot in the house,” she explained, taking a seat next to me.

I pulled the opening of the jacket closer to try and keep the warmth of the jacket near me.  Sensing how cold I was, Korra earthbent a small fire pit in front of us, the small fire she created emitting enough warmth for us both.  I stared at the fire, my body focused on trying to sober up a little but my mind focusing on Korra.  My eyes were on the fire, yet I could see the small smile she had on her face as she watched the sparks crackled from the wood.  _This was…perfect.  Like it was meant to be._

“Korra, I want to-“ I began to say, but Korra had a different idea in mind than talking.

As I turned my head towards her, she leaned over and placed her lips softly but slightly forcefully on mine.  Taken by surprise, I hesitated for a moment before returning the kiss.  A smile played on her lips as we leaned back, causing my own smile to grow.

“Took long enough,” she said, chuckling when my eyes widened and my face turned as red as a lobster. “Oh, come on.  You think I didn’t start to notice?”

“I…but you…but…I…” I couldn’t find the right words to form, ending up groaning when the words themselves couldn’t come out.  I covered my face, the embarrassment of the entire situation coming full circle. “How?”

She laughed. “Asami, there hasn’t been a day since I met you where I haven’t found you staring at me longer than a minute.  And I see you pretty much every day.”

I looked at her, watching as she laughed with such warmth in voice.  How her eyes seemed to sparkle when she looked at me with that smile on her face.  How she looked at me like I was a cut above the rest.  I leaned forward, my hands finding her cheeks, and kissed her, pouring all I could into the kiss.  She returned it, her arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me closer.

“About damn time,” I heard Opal say.

I broke the kiss, turning my head quickly towards her.  I swear, if my face could get any redder from embarrassment, it did.  Opal smiled as she leaned into Bolin, who had his big goofy grin on his face.  Korra turned her head towards them and smiled at the two.

“Could say the same thing, Opal,” Korra replied, her arms not moving from my waist.

It was Opal’s turn to start blushing red, and we all began to laugh.  Sitting so that I was leaning against Korra, I finally felt as if my luck had started to turn around.  Even after finding out about my father’s Equalist activities, even after having a majority of the school hate then pretend to like me, I knew that I’d still have my friends to lean on.  I’d still have Korra to go to.  I smiled as Korra pulled me to my feet, taking my hand as we walked back inside the house.  _I wouldn’t have it any other way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As some people may have seen, Soccet and I have both started to reply to comments! Yay! I'd also like to say thank you to the readers who have followed this story since Day 1; you guys are awesome.  
> Asami <3


	19. Just a Bunch of Meddling Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Butting heads and trading smug looks are always fun.

Just when I thought that my luck was turning around, life decided to prove me wrong.  Upon our return to school, news started to spread that Arlin had resigned from his teaching position to take a full time position within the Republic City Police Department in their push to stop the Equalists.  I stood beside Korra at the ceremony introducing the new Chief of Police, a man named Saikhan, and watched as he shook hands with Arlin, smiles plastered on both of their faces.  I felt Korra squeeze my hand at the sight; I gently squeezed back, smiling softly at her.  _With the police department now under Arlin’s thumb, I can only imagine what kind of trouble he’ll be causing Korra._

Following the ceremony, Arlin made his way over to us, a smile wide on his face. “Tenzin, Avatar Korra, Ms. Sato.  Did you three enjoy the ceremony?” he asked, his arms spread wide in an open gesture.

I frowned, but Korra beat me to speaking. “What are you up to, Arlin?”

He smiled at us. “I’m only trying to help my city take down these terroristic criminals, dear Avatar.  Speaking of which, I’m looking forward to you returning to the Task Force and possibly helping to recruit some more people to our cause,” he said, his attention shifting to me.

I shivered slightly at his gaze, which Korra felt and instantly stepped in front of me, her hand still holding mine. “I told you, Arlin, that I’m done with that stupid little task force you have.  I have more important issues than that, namely Amon and the Equalists.  I don’t need your help to take them down.”

Arlin narrowed his eyes at Korra. “Is that so?  And how are you going to stop them when you can’t even learn how to airbend?” he asked with a smug smile.

I felt Korra’s confidence take a step back.  Even though she had managed to memorize all of the techniques and forms that Tenzin and his kids had taught her, she still was unable to airbend.  It had been one of the main things topping her list of concerns, rivaling the Equalist movement for the top spot.  She looked down, and Arlin’s smile widened a little before Tenzin stepped in.

“Korra is the Avatar, Tarrlok.  Even my father had trouble when he was learning to bend the other elements.  I would suggest you back off of this topic,” he said, staring down Arlin.

Arlin grinned then turned his attention to Korra and I. “Let me know how the airbending goes, Avatar, because if you won’t rejoin the task force, then I highly recommend you stay out of my way.” He turned and left after saying his part, that smug smile still on his face.

I wrapped my arms around Korra’s waist, hugging her close. “Don’t listen to him, Korra.  He’s just trying to get under your skin,” I whispered softly as Tenzin left to go get Oogi, his sky bison.

Nodding and returning my hug, Korra looked up at me and smiled a little. “Thanks.  Let’s just…get out of here.”

I nodded, taking her hand and walking with her to Oogi.  She was quiet for most of the trip back, only speaking up to talk to Tenzin about her airbending and her past lives, which through me for a loop honestly.  To hear her and Tenzin speak about being able to talk to her past lives like it was an everyday thing had me more confused than the problems I’d find in my projects.  Korra must’ve seen my confused look because she started to laugh.

I rolled my eyes. “Not funny, Korra.”

Trying her hardest to collect herself, she smiled at me. “Kind of is when you’re staring at me like that, ‘Sami.”

I smiled at my shortened name that Korra had begun to use.  Whenever she’d say it, I’d feel a little warmer because she was the only one who would call me by that.  _Spirits, she was the only one that I’d let call me that._   The three of us stood up as Oogi landed, Korra and I sliding down his tail to the ground while Tenzin jumped and airbent his soft landing.

“Even still, Korra, I would recommend meditating on those visions.  If it’s Aang you’re seeing, then he’s possibly trying to tell you something,” Tenzin said before taking his leave.

We watched him leave, my hand still in Korra’s.  I looked over at her, about to suggest we go find the boys, when I paused.  She was looking down, her mind thinking.  I smiled softly, leaning over to kiss her cheek.  Her attention snapped back to the present, and she smiled at me.

I smiled back. “Come on.  Let’s go find the boys and see what they’re up to.”

Korra nodded, and we began to walk towards the common area.  It worried me how much Arlin’s words had affected her.  Her mood may have been easy to read as Bolin rose to his feet when we entered the room, a similar worried expression on his face.  Opal turned around, Pabu visibly asleep on her lap.  Mako was sitting on the window sill, his back up against the frame.

“What’s wrong?” Opal asked, gently moving Pabu so that she could stand up.

Korra sighed. “Just…I feel like the worst Avatar ever.”

Bolin smiled, coming over and wrapping his arm around Korra’s shoulders. “Korra, you’re not the worst Avatar ever.  That’s just a stupid thing to think in the first place.”

Korra shook her head. “If I was even worthy of being called the Avatar, then I’d able to airbend right now.”

Opal walked over to us, her hands taking Korra’s free hand. “Korra, when Aang was battling the Fire Nation, he wasn’t a master yet.  He was twelve, and he had the help of his friends.  Just like we’re here for you,” she said with a soft smile.

Mako rose from his seat and joined the group. “Besides, we all know how you are, Korra.  No matter how grim it looks, you always find a way to beat the odds.  That much was evident in the tournament matches.”

That got us all to smile.  Korra looked at all of us, her gaze lasting a little longer on me when it was my turn. “Thank you.”

Suddenly, Bolin’s eyes went wide, his smile being the one he made when he got an idea.  Opal and I looked at each other, matching expressions of dread.  _Now what could he have possibly came up with?_

“Guys!  I’ve got a great idea!” he shouted, causing Pabu to jump at the sudden volume of his voice. “Let’s become the new Team Avatar!  We could patrol Republic City and save people like when Aang was the Avatar!”

We all stared at him in surprise. “That’s…not too bad of an idea actually,” Korra spoke up first, a grin appearing on her face.

Mako, Opal, and I all looked at each other, grins appearing our faces.  It looked as though we were all in agreement.  Excited that his idea was actually becoming a reality, Bolin suggested that we start a patrol tonight.  Opal volunteered to stay behind in order to monitor the police chatter.  As we were discussing where we would start the patrol, an idea popped into my head.  I ran inside to my room, opening one of the drawers that held some of my smaller finished projects.

“’Sami, what are you doing?” I heard Korra ask from behind me.

Pulling out the small box, I took her hand and kissed her quickly. “Come on,” I said as I dragged her back out to our friends.

I was met by confused expressions as I returned with my box.  A smile on my face, I opened it to show five earpieces, all of my design.  Pulling one out, I showed them how to put it in.  I designed them to adjust perfectly around the right ear of the person, and they were wireless as well.

“These are amazing, Asami!” Opal said as she began to adjust hers.

Mako looked at his questioningly. “How’s the distance faring on them?”

I smiled as Bolin and Korra began to put theirs on. “The entire length of Republic City.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at the distance. “Seriously?” Bolin asked, his mouth on the verge of dropping in amazement.

I pulled the Equalist shock glove that I had kept since that night, sliding it onto my right hand. “I’ve been working on the earpieces since I was thirteen.  My father put a satellite up specifically to help boost the range of them.  He and I had tested them before the school year started,” I said, a slight drop in my tone at the memory.

Noticing my change in mood, Korra placed her hand on my arm gently and smiled. “Hey, they’re great, and they’ll help us spread out more over the city.”

I nodded, ready to get on with the night.  Agreeing that taking Naga into the city was probably a bad idea, since there were four of us going, we decided to take my Satomobile in.  I slid my goggles onto my head but adjusted them so that I could pull them down in a quick second.  _Never know when they could come in handy.  One of the few lessons I learned from my father._

The night was quiet as we drove through the city.  I focused on the driving while the rest were scanning the city.  I had left Opal my Cabbagetop in case she needed to give us any directions based off of what was coming from the police chatter.  As we traveled down one of the longer streets, I couldn’t help but look up and admire the star-filled sky above us.  It would’ve been a perfect night to do a stargazing, but we were onto more important things.

“Guys, there’s been jailbreak by the Equalists.  They were last seen heading east from the police department’s headquarters,” Opal called in on our earpieces.

Just as I was about to reply, the escaped convicts and their Equalist companions sped past in front of us, nearly causing an accident in the process.  Quickly changing gears, I sped off after them.  Though it was late at night, there were still some cars out on the streets, making it difficult to maneuver.  The convicts and Equalists had no problem driving down the middle of the road, causing accidents to happen on both sides of the streets, but I wasn’t one to hit an innocent bystander on our way to catching the criminals.  A truck, cut off by the Equalist convoy, blocked the street, cutting us off in the process.

“Korra!  Bolin!  Ramp!” I shouted.

A ramp was quickly earthbent, and we found ourselves flying over the truck and landing hard on the other side of the street.  _Thank god for those erratic races on the track_.  It was a bit more difficult to control the wide motions of the car as it landed not impossible.  Soon, we were back on track following the convoy with Mako and Bolin trying their hardest to knock two of the chi blockers on motorcycles out of commission.  They were successful, but the remaining two chi blockers were onto us.  Smoke began to emit from their tailpipes as they swerved in front of us.  I slid my goggles down over my eyes, keeping my eyes clear from the smoke, and noticed the convoy make a sharp turn.

“I need help with this turn, Korra!” I said, my fingers wrapping tight around the steering wheel.

An earthbent ramp made its appearance, and we were able to make the turn without the convoy knowing that we were still behind them.  As I positioned the Satomobile behind the two remaining chi blockers, I lowered my voice. “Get ready.”

I slammed hard onto the accelerator, slamming into the motorcycles and causing the chi blockers to fly off of them.  They landed with grace on the hood of the Satomobile, their attention fully on us.  The boys began to fight them, but Bolin’s fight quickly became too much for him as the chi blocker proceeded to hit the pressure points on his arm.  Hearing him fall back against the backseat, I reached up and grabbed the chi blocker’s leg, electrocuting her.  With Korra’s help, Mako was able to knock the second chi blocker over so that they were hanging over the windshield; a shock from my glove later, he was in the backseat with his partner.

Pulling up next to the convoy’s main truck, Mako was able to electrocute the driver.  The truck flipped onto its side, but luckily none of the passengers were hurt beyond a few scratches and bruises.  Rounding up all of those involved, the press were already taking pictures of us by the time Arlin and his task force arrived with the police.  The angered face that Arlin had on almost made me smile.  I watched as the police began to move the convicts into their vehicles while Arlin spoke with Korra.  By the smug look on her face, she was enjoying this just as much as the rest of us.

”Asami, everything alright?” I heard Opal ask.

I pressed the button on my earpiece. “We’re ok.  Police are here picking up the chi blockers and the escaped convicts.  And by the look of it, Korra’s having fun mocking Arlin with their late arrival,” I told her, a smile playing on my lips as I continued to watch her.

“Alright.  I’ll see you guys when you get back here,” Opal replied.

Smiling, I snuck up behind Korra, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and kissing her cheek.  She smiled as we walked back towards the car where Mako and Bolin were currently waiting for us.  We agreed that we had seen enough action tonight, and it was better that we only ran into Arlin once tonight.  If only we had known what kind of trouble we ended up stirring up as Team Avatar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No updates from Soccet today. She's got a lot on her mind right now, but she still finds time to write you all stories about my life apparently. I'd send her good vibes and find her on Tumblr; she loves when to see when she's got a new follower or some comments/kudos on her stories :)  
> Asami <3


	20. Good Intentions, Bad Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arlin's got his fingers into everything now. It's only a matter of time before he and the Krew start butting heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 7000 views and 300 kudos. You guys rock! I love seeing how popular this fic has become, and it wouldn't be there without you, the faithful readers. I love you all!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

_Where was she…where was she…not here…not here…_ My mind was running through a thousand different paths, and none of them were good.  None of them would leave my mind until I saw her, until I had her in my arms.  Each cell was the same.  _She’s not here._ I rounded a corner, ignoring Chief Beifong and Mako after they had found the missing police officers, Zolt, and his friends.  I ignored the fear radiating off the first Equalist pawn I found, slamming him up against the wall, my glove glowing with electricity.  There was only one person on my mind, and to hell was I going to let anyone get in my way of finding her.

“Where.  Is.  Avatar.  Korra.”

* * *

 

**_36 hours ago_ ** ****

It was days like these, ones where I didn’t have any major plans after school and nothing else on my mind, that I enjoyed the most.  Days where I could just work on the little things, like giving my Satomobile a tune up.  One that was justifiable after the night I had put her through last week.  I could hear Korra outside the garage playing with Ikki and Meelo, their laughter filling up the semi-quiet garage.  I had the radio playing softly, as I always did whenever I worked on my car, but to hear them outside was just as soothing.

Currently, we were waiting on word from Tenzin about the emergency Council meeting Arlin had called.  Since taking up his new position with the police department, he had been slowly moving more and more into Council affairs, to the annoyance of Tenzin.  I could only imagine his motives for doing so, yet his warning still played in the back of my mind.

_“If you won’t rejoin the task force, then I highly recommend you stay out of my way.”_

I sighed, pushing myself out from underneath my car and sitting up.  I grabbed my rag from my tool box, tossing the tools I had just used back in, and wiped the grease off my face.  A quick bounce, and I found myself face to face with Meelo, a giant smile on his face.

I smiled back. “Hey, Meelo.  What’s up?”

“You’re really pretty,” he said, that smile never leaving his face.

I gave him a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. “You’re too sweet, Meelo, but I’m already spoken for.”

Korra walked in, a grin on her face. “Sorry bud.”

Meelo looked back and forth from us and shrugged. “Your loss, pretty lady,” he said before standing up and running back outside to his sister.  I couldn’t help but chuckle when I heard Ikki yell at him to stay away from her with the grease on his hands.

Korra smiled as she watched Meelo start to chase his sister before turning her attention back to me as I stood. “Everything ok?” she asked as I picked my tool box up.

“Yeah, why?” I replied as I sat it down on the workbench.

She shrugged, walking over and leaning up against the workbench. “You’ve just been uncharacteristically quiet the past couple days.”

I leaned over and kissed her softly. “Nothing’s wrong.  Sorry if I worried you.”

She smiled, returning the kiss, when Oogi and Tenzin landed in the courtyard.  Grabbing my hand, Korra practically dragged me over to the courtyard.  _I knew she was worried about what the emergency meeting was for, but she could’ve at least let me go change out of these clothes first._ The grim look on Tenzin’s face signaled that it was probably a good thing Korra dragged me over.

“What is it?” she asked after he made his way to the ground.

Tenzin breathed a deep sigh. “Tarrlok was able to get the Council to implicate a new law making it illegal for anyone to have any association with the Equalist movement.  It also introduces a new curfew for nonbenders; they can’t be outside their homes after dark.”

“What?”  I asked, concerned about how this would affect the patrols we had just started to get used to. “That’s…that’s ridiculous!”

The three of us began to walk inside the temple. “I know, and I fought against it, but the rest of the Council voted against me for it,” Tenzin explained.  He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to go make some phone calls about this.”

We watched as he left.  I could feel Korra’s anger starting to build, and I couldn’t blame her.  What Arlin was doing was uncalled for, and it was only adding onto the tension that was building in the city between the benders and nonbenders.  I looked at her, watching as she ran scenario after scenario through her mind about what this law meant for us, especially me.  I took her hand and gently squeezed it, breaking her from her thoughts.  She looked at me, and I smiled softly.

“What are we going to do?” I asked, the smile turning into a small frown.  _I didn’t want Korra or any of our friends getting in trouble.  It wouldn’t be fair to them._

As if on cue, Mako, Bolin, and Opal made their way over to us.  By the looks on their faces, Tenzin had relayed the new law to them, and they were just as concerned as we were.  Turning our attention to Korra, I was surprised to see a smile on her face.

“We keep doing what we’ve been doing, which means we’re going on a patrol tonight.”

* * *

 

That night, the patrol was moving slowly.  The new curfew had a lot of people on edge, so it was no surprise that many chose to stay indoors.  Having only been out a couple hours, we decided to stop by one of the few shops open late at night.  I leaned back against the driver’s door, finishing up the small pastry I had bought, when I heard Opal’s voice come over the receiver. 

“Guys, police are moving to the Dragon Flatts Burrow with reports of Equalist movement,” she said quickly.

I quickly jumped into the front, sliding my goggles over my eyes, and hit the accelerator with a smile.  _Finally some action._ Speeding away from the shop, it didn’t take long to reach the Burrow, but what we found was concerning.  Several police department airships were hovering over the Burrow, and the power was out.  A police barricade came into view, and I pulled the car over.  I got out, sliding my goggles to their resting spot on top of my head, and I looked at the view with concern.

Blocked off by several barricades were the residents of the Burrow, frustrations and angers boiling over into a screaming match with the police.  None of them were armed nor were they dangerous; most had come outside in their pajamas.  Chief Saikhan was present, ordering the residents, mostly nonbenders, to return to their homes, but the crowd didn’t disperse.  A little girl noticed our arrival, pointing us out to her mother.

The mother looked at us, along with several other members of the crowd. “Please, Avatar Korra.  Help us; you’re our Avatar, too,” she pleaded, holding her youngest closer to her chest.

I looked over at Korra, watching her reactions.  Frustration was written clearly on her face as she turned around, heading straight for a large tent.  At a closer inspection as the boys and I followed closely behind her, I saw that it belong to Arlin, who was standing outside with another gentleman.

I pressed the button on my earpiece. “Opal, it’s Asami.  No Equalists here; just Arlin trying to use his authority and influence against some nonbenders.  You might want to inform Tenzin about this.”

“Got it.  Going now,” she replied as Korra and Arlin began to argue about the current situation.

Korra was standing toe to toe with Arlin, not budging as he narrowed his eyes at her. “You have no right to treat these nonbenders like they’re criminals, Arlin,” she said, her fists clenching at her sides.

“This is an Equalist rally.  There’s nothing innocent about it,” Arlin retorted, pointing towards the crowd.

I stepped forward. “They’re not Equalists.  They’re just normal people who want their rights back.”

Narrowing his eyes at me, Arlin straightened his posture and turned his attention to Saikhan. “Round up these Equalists,” he ordered.

We watched as the police officers began to metalbend the barriers around several members of the crowd.  As the earth below them was lifted into the air, the others who hadn’t been wrangled up like cattle dispersed, their screams echoing in the night as they ran.  Korra ran over to the ones who had been rounded up, earthbending their spots back into the ground.  Several of those who were on the ends of the barriers were able to slide underneath them and escape.

“Stop this!” she shouted at the police officers.

As I watched, I failed to notice Arlin turn his attention to me.  A second later, I was pulled over to him and the officers beside him, a waterbent tendril wrapped around my arm and pulling it behind my back.  I gasped in pain at the sudden movement.  I turned my head towards him, confused. “Hey, let me go!”

“You’re under arrest,” Arlin said, a smile on his face.

“You can’t do that!” Mako shouted.

Arlin turned his attention towards Mako. “Actually, I can.  She’s a nonbender out past curfew, and her father has known Equalist ties.  Speaking of which,” he said, turning his attention to his police officers. “Arrest both of them as well for obstructing an arrest.”

“Enough!” Korra shouted as she earthbent two large pieces of rock from the ground.  I could see from the fire in her eyes that she was willing to do all she could to keep us from going to jail, but I couldn’t let put herself in that position, especially with Amon still on the loose.

“Korra.  Korra, look at me,” I said.  Slowly, she turned her attention from Arlin to me, her eyes meeting mine. “It’s alright.  We’ll be alright.  Please, put them down; we can’t have you arrested too.  Go find Tenzin and Opal, alright?”

She looked at me, that fire still in her eyes, before her gaze began to soften.  The rocks slowly lowered themselves to their respective holes as she calmed herself down.  She watched as we were led to different trucks, the sorrow on her face eating away at my heart.  _She’ll get us out of here.  I know she will._

* * *

 

**_6 hours ago_ ** ****

I sighed, resting my head on my hands as I stared up at the ceiling of the cell I was in.  Everything in it was metal, but at least I was able to get somewhat comfortable.  It was quiet, but it wasn’t the comforting quiet I always looked forward to when I was working on a project.  No, this quiet was void of everything; it was the lonely type quiet you tended to avoid unless you were having just an overall bad day.  This type of quiet lets your mind wander to places you don’t really want to think about.  In this case, my mind began to wander towards Korra.  _Spirits, it’s only been a few hours in here, and I miss her._

When we weren’t released last night, I figured it had to do with Arlin and Saikhan.  Since I had convinced Korra to talk with Tenzin and had gotten Opal to inform him of our situation before our arrest, I was fairly certain that they would have at least tried to get us released last night.  I sighed, pulling my leg up slightly.  _At least I didn’t have any homework due today at school._ I frowned, thinking about how this whole situation was going to look when it came to Republic City University.  _Well, at least I have some backup plans._

A ripping noise echoed through the cell, and I sat up in time to see Beifong tear the door off its hinges.  She was dressed in her police uniform with a trench coat over it.  I smiled when I saw Opal move into view.

“Come on; we’re busting you out,” Beifong said, taking a step to the side.

I stood up fast, meeting Opal halfway in a hug. “Thanks,” I replied to Beifong, only getting a nod in return.

We began to make our way down to the boys’ cell, Opal and I quickly following behind Beifong.  Opal looked me over, worry written over her face. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?” she asked.

I smiled, taking her hands in mine. “I’m fine, Opal.  A little sore from the arrest, but I’ll be fine.  I promise.”

Beifong stopped in front of a door, metalbending it aside as she had done with mine.  A yelp came out from Bolin as he quickly redid his pants, Mako shaking his head at his brother.  Opal moved inside the cell faster, jumping into Bolin’s arms and kissing him softly.  I rolled my eyes at my friend, a smile on my face as I walked into Mako’s hug.

“You alright?” I asked.

“We’re fine.  You?” he replied with a smile.

I rolled my shoulders. “Just a bit sore, but I’ll be ok.”

Beifong cleared her throat, signaling the end of Bolin and Opal’s kiss, a frown on her face. “Sorry, but we have to get going.  Korra’s in trouble.  Amon captured her.”

My eyes went wide in fear.  _No…no not Korra…_ “When?”

Opal sighed, resting against Bolin. “Last night.  She went to speak with Arlin about getting you guys out of here, and chi blockers ambushed them.  Arlin was knocked out.”

Beifong shook her head. “Come on; we can discuss this on the way to Tenzin’s office.  We have an Avatar to save.”

The four of us rushed out of the cell quickly.  As I made my way down the hall, I heard a quick zip and yelp emanate from Bolin.  I looked back quickly to see Bolin covering the front of his pants and Beifong with an indifferent look on her face.

“Your fly was down,” she told him as she began to walk down the hall.

Opal and I began to giggle at Bolin’s embarrassed expression. “Thanks for catching that…” he replied as he began to slowly follow us.  _Only Bolin._

* * *

 

**_Present_ ** ****

“I won’t ask again.  Where is Avatar Korra?” My left hand begun to squeeze around his throat while the glove on my right hand began to glow.

After collecting Tenzin from his office, we had found our way into the Equalist prison through a tunnel near where Bolin had been abducted all those months ago.  I was somewhat impressed with their subway systems but angered at the thought of it being constructed by my father.  My anger transferred into my hand, squeezing even harder on the chi blocker’s throat.

“She’s not here!  We didn’t attack City Hall last night; that Arlin guy was lying!” the chi blocker shouted, his voice cracking as he tried to get air into his lungs.

At the sounds of footsteps coming down the hall, I looked to see Beifong arriving with her missing police officers, all of whom had depressed expressions.  _Their bending’s gone.  Please, please, let Korra have her bending still._ Beifong looked at the chi blocker I had against the wall before turning her attention to me.

“He’s telling the truth.  I scanned the entire complex.  She’s not here,” she said.

I shook my head, dropping the chi blocker in frustration.  Mako rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Why would he say that he was attacked by Equalists then?” he asked.

My eyes widen at the realization.  _I’m such an idiot._ “Son of a…he’s got Korra.” _Could this day get any worse?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo anyone want to help me figure out ways to get back at Arlin for kidnapping Korra? Like seriously? *hears Soccet yell that we can't do anything illegal* ...spoil sport...  
> Asami <3


	21. It Has Begun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arlin has Korra. Can Asami and the rest of the Krew find her before it's too late?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you know that point in time where all good things must come to an end? Well, we're nearing the end of Senior Year. How exciting and sad is that? Sad because it's ending; exciting because the ending I have in mind is going to be AWESOME. It's so awesome that I already have the next chapter written :3.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

_Spirits…my head hurts so much._ I slowly put my hands on the ground, lifting myself into a sitting position.  My entire body hurt, and slowly my eyes started to adjust to my surroundings.  Looking around, I saw Beifong slapping Tenzin awake, Mako was sitting up, and Bolin was helping Opal up into a sitting position.  Raising my hand to my head, all of my memories came rushing back.

Exposed by his secretary in front of the Council, Saikhan, and the rest of us, Arlin had bloodbent us unconscious.  We had caught him in his lie, and now he was on the run.  I slammed my hand down on the ground, frustration at his escape getting the best of my emotions.  _He was the only one who knew where Korra was, and now he’s gone._ Tears began to run down my cheeks at the thought of never being able to see Korra again.

Mako’s hand rested on my shoulder, causing me to look at him with red eyes. “We’ll find her, Asami,” he reassured me with a smile.

I nodded, not trusting him until we found her.  I wouldn’t be ok until we had her back safe.  Once we had checked to make sure that everyone as ok, Saikhan left to gather his police force to hunt for Arlin and Korra.  The rest of us gathered out to Oogi, riding on his back as we searched from the air for any signs of Arlin or Korra.

Day turned into night, and there was no sign of Korra or Arlin.  Bolin and Opal had fallen asleep, Beifong was speaking with Tenzin about possibilities as to where Arlin could have taken her, and Mako and I continued to look down at the streets for any signs.  I rubbed my eyes, my body wanting rest but my mind wide awake in case any sign made an appearance.  I felt a hand on my shoulder, my eyes looking up to find Mako behind me with a small smile on his face.

“Come on, get some rest.  I’ll wake you if we find anything,” he said, taking a kneel beside me.

I shook my head. “I can’t, Mako.  Not until we find her.”

It was then that a loud howl broke through the silence of the night.  Both Mako and I looked over the side of Oogi’s saddle, our eyes searching in the direction of the howl. “That sounded like Naga!” Mako shouted at Tenzin, pointing in the direction of the howl.

Tenzin steered Oogi towards the howl as Mako and I continued to look down at the streets.  _Cars…people…more cars._ Then I saw her, a large white spot in the middle of an empty street.  There was Naga, pacing slowly but her head raised up in the air towards us.  A closer look, and I could see Korra’s leaned up against the wall of a nearby building.  Naga stopped, waiting for Oogi to land, but I didn’t wait.  Jumping off of Oogi’s back, I landed on my feet into a sprint towards Naga.  Mako, Beifong, and Tenzin were right behind me.

“Korra, are you ok?  How’d you get free?” Tenzin asked as Naga lowered herself .

“Where’s Arlin?” Beifong asked at the same time.

Helping Korra to her feet, I glared angrily at them. “Back off.  Give her some space!” I said, wrapping my arm around her waist and her arm around my shoulders. 

I led head back to Oogi, most of her body weight leaned against me.  When her weight shifted, I looked over to see Mako helping me walk her over to Oogi.  I looked down at her face, my heart clenching tight.  There were strands of her hair covering her face, a new cut on her right cheek.  I could feel the exhaustion seeping out of her body as we walked her up to the saddle, laying her down slowly.  I knelt beside her, my hands cupping her cheeks.  It took her a few seconds to realize where she was, but the smile that appeared on her face seemed to make everything better.

“Hey ‘Sami,” she said softly.

I wiped my eyes. “Hey there.  You had me so worried.”

She frowned slightly. “Sorry.  I didn’t mean to.”

I shook my head, leaning forward and kissed her softly. “Shh.  Just rest, Korra.  You’re safe now.”

I didn’t leave her side as everyone, including Naga, made their way back onto Oogi’s saddle.  I held her hand as we made our return back to Air Temple Island.  I was by her side, helping Mako lead her back to her room, when we landed in the courtyard.  I laid with her as she slept, my arm wrapped around her waist gently.  I had almost lost her, and I didn’t want to every feel that way again.

* * *

 

A smile crept along my lips as I watched Korra eat the lunch Pema and I had made.  She had just woken up an hour ago, the first words she asked was if she could get something to eat.  Pema was more than willing to cook a large meal for us all; I had volunteered to help so as to relieve some of the stress of cooking off the pregnant woman’s shoulders.  It was nothing short of a miracle that she hadn’t lost her mind having to deal with the three airbending children and having to care for all of the guests at the temple while being pregnant with her fourth child.

Kissing Korra’s cheek as she finished her fourth bowl of rice, I picked up the empty dishes that had started to pile in the middle of the table, carrying them to the kitchen.  By the questions being asked, it sounded as if the conversation had turned back to the topic of Arlin and Korra’s escape.  I sighed as I set the dishes in the sink, washing the first one my hand touched as I dipped my hands into the water.

Pema chuckled from her place beside me. “Hey, at least you don’t have to worry about an island full of guests plus the air nomads that actually live here.”

I smiled gently at her. “You’re a really strong woman, Pema, to have to deal with all of this and to take care of your family at the same time." 

Pema’s smile was soft and welcoming, her gaze going to her swollen belly as she gently laid her hand on the top of it. “It’s worth it though.  For every moment that gets on my nerves, and trust me there’s been plenty, I have two moments that make my day.  Moments that I wouldn’t trade for anything in my lifetime.”

A throat-clearing caught our attention, and we turned to find Mako standing at the doorway, a teapot in his hands. “Mind if I get some hot water for Korra?” he asked.

I took a step back to allow him over to the sink, and the slight awkward tension rose as he walked over to fill the pot up.  Seeing that a talk was in order, Pema excused herself to head back out into the dining room, leaving me alone with Mako.  A silent moment passed before Mako was done filling the teapot.  He closed it up, staring at the pot, before turning his attention to me.

“I know that it’s long overdue, but I’m sorry for what happened between us, Asami,” he said, the sadness heavy on his voice.

I looked at him, knowing that he was referring to the night he and Korra kissed.  I could see the apology in his eyes, an almost begging to be forgiven.  I smiled softly, hugging him close.  No matter how much I had hurt, I was actually glad to have been.  Who knows how different my life would’ve been if I had stay with Mako?  Would I have been happy?  Would I have still had a secretly deep crush on my best friend?  Spirits only knows how life would’ve turned out, but I’m glad that it happened as it had.

Mako pulled back slightly after hugging me back, a slightly confused look on his face. “You’re not overly mad?”

I shook my head. “No.  I’ve already talked with Korra about it as well.  Frankly, Mako, I’m happy it happened.  If it hadn’t, then Korra and I wouldn’t have found our way to each other.”

Mako chuckled, his hand rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah.  I guess I played match-maker huh?”

I rolled my eyes, grabbing the teapot and walked back into the dining room.  Korra was still at the table, but she was focused on talking with Jinora.  Setting the teapot on the table, I took the open seat on the opposite side of Korra, Jinora giggling as I sat down.  I looked at her questioningly, only to get a kiss on the cheek from Korra.

“It’s nothing, I promise,” she said. 

“Uh-huh.” _Nice try, Korra.  Jinora giggles just like Opal does whenever she tries to hide a surprise._ I looked around, noting that Tenzin was gone. “Where did Tenzin go?”

“Dad had a Council meeting to attend to,” Jinora answered quickly, her hands holding her cup of tea as they rested on her lap.”

**_Boom._ **

The sudden explosion caused all of us to jump.  Racing to the window, several other explosions erupted through the city.  We watched as several buildings caught on fire, airships with Amon’s emblem painted on the sides flying over the several tall structures.  My heart clenched when the screams got louder and louder with each passing second.

“We’ve got to do something!” Bolin said, pulling our attention away from the scene unfolding in front of us.

We couldn’t take my car; it’d take me at least ten minutes to get it running again, and that was time we didn’t have.  I began running different options through my head, the voices of everyone around me growing with concern and frustration, when the thought hit me.

Looking at Korra, I asked. “Korra, where’s the keys to the car that was dropped off here as a present?”

Her eyes brighten, a smile making its way onto her face.  She ran to the kitchen, pulling a set of keys out of one of the drawers and tossing them to me.  I caught them with one hand and made my way out to the garage where the Satomobile currently resided.  It was a sports-style version, one that mine had been heavily influenced by, but it lacked the upgraded performance that my personal Satomobile featured.  It started up smooth.  Korra and the boys jumped in as I began to put my earpiece in, watching as Opal made her way over to us.

“Let us know if any changes.  We’re heading straight to City Hall to find Tenzin,” I said, sliding my glove onto my hand and checking to see if it powered up properly.

Opal nodded.  Beifong jogged her way over to us, standing beside her niece. “We’ll stay here and protect Pema and the children.  Don’t do anything stupid, you hear?” she said.

“We won’t.  Stay safe,” Korra replied, the concern evident in her voice.

Both Opal and Beifong nodded, and I sped the car out to the ferry.  The dock workers weren’t on duty today, meaning that we would have to sail the ferry to the docks ourselves.  It wasn’t hard to figure out how to drive the ferry; Korra contributed to it mostly so that we could get to the docks faster.  Once we arrived at the docks and tied the ferry to one of the posts, it didn’t take me long to speed down the streets of Republic City to City Hall.

Explosions rang out around us; people were screaming for us to stop and help.  My heart clenched, my fingers squeezed the steering wheel tighter.  I looked up towards the sky, seeing the dozen airships floating above us, and I couldn’t help but wonder if my father was up there.  _If Mom could see you now, she’d lose all respect for you.  Just as I have._

“Look!  Tenzin’s battling those mecha suits!” Bolin shouted, pointing towards City Hall.

Sure enough, there was Tenzin, battling his hardest against the mecha suits.  I pressed my foot down hard on the accelerator as one of Amon’s trucks sped off.  _We can’t help those inside now.  We have to get to Tenzin._ We watched as he was slammed up against the wall of the building, bracing his fall to the ground with airbending.  Soon, chi blockers were around him to move him and the innocent City Hall workers into a second truck.

“Bolin, I need a ramp!” I shouted over my shoulder at Bolin.

A second later, an earthbent ramp was created a hundred meters in front of us.  Pressing down hard on the accelerator, the Satomobile was reaching a speed of 90 mph when I shouted, “Jump!”

The four of us jumped out of the car just before it hit the ramping, launching into the air and crashing into two of the mecha suits.  As Korra and the boys went to take care of the remaining mecha suits, I made my way over to the truck.  I caught the two loading Tenzin into the truck by surprise, easily knocking them out with two strikes of my glove.  Three more came at me; I dodged and shocked the first, redirected the second, and shocked the third.  The second came back for another attack, twisting my arm behind my back, but I was able to twist myself out of their grip.  They swung their leg at me, but I ducked underneath it, grabbing their arm and shocking them unconscious.

Tenzin rose to his feet after regaining consciousness, thanking me for our timely arrival.  I watched as he ran off to help battle one of the last mecha suits with Mako.  As the mecha suits began to fall to their attacks, I directed the City Hall workers into running and finding a safe spot to hide from the chi blockers.  Once I knew that they wouldn’t be followed, I joined Korra, Tenzin, and the boys over by the destroyed mecha suits.

As Tenzin and Korra discussed Amon’s attack, my attention floated towards Mako and Bolin, who were both staring terrified to their right.  I looked towards the direction, and my heart dropped.  _No…no…_

“We have a problem,” I heard Mako say, but I already knew how Tenzin and Korra would react.

On its way to Air Temple Island was one of Amon’s airships.  The five of us rushed as quickly as we could to Oogi, who had made his landing over by the ramp.  Climbing to his saddle, Tenzin checked to make sure we were all on before having Oogi lift off.  My attention fully on the island, my mind and heart instantly went to Pema and the airbending children.  We couldn’t let Amon get ahold of them; we couldn’t let the last airbenders of the world be taken away from us.

A hand grasped mine, and I suddenly felt as if I knew everything was going to be alright.  I turned, looking Korra in the eyes.  Her face read calm and reassuring, but I could see in her eyes that she was just as worried and terrified as I was.  The airbending children were like the younger siblings we both wished had.  They could make you laugh; they could take your mind off of the worries of your brain with just the simplest talks.

“We’ll keep them safe, ‘Sami.  Remember, Opal and Beifong are there right now with them.  They’ll be just fine,” Korra said, trying to reassure me.

I smiled softly, but I knew it didn’t hide my worry.  _I hope you’re right, Korra.  I hope you’re right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still want to beat Arlin's face in, just saying. So it was great to let some steam out on the chi blockers when we were saving Tenzin. Also, BOOOO that this story is ending, but I promise Soccet's got a great ending in mind for you guys.  
> Asami <3


	22. Safe and Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final phase of Amon's Equalist movement has begun. Asami and the Krew were able to save Tenzin from the chi blockers, but will they make it in time to help Chief Beifong and Opal protect the airbending family?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only three more chapters to go, and we're over 8000 hits! Even better news? I have most of the final chapters written! I wish I could show you guys how excited I am about how this fic is going to end, but you'll just have to wait and find out.
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

I was amazed at what I saw as Oogi made his way towards the courtyard.  Beifong, Opal, and the airbending children were outside with the White Lotus guards, the chi blocker intruders being led away to with their hands tied behind their backs.  As Oogi landed, the children ran to their father, who was upset but grateful that his family was safe.  He left soon after to greet the newest addition to his family, Beifong, Korra, and Mako close behind him.  As I watched them disappear, I looked to Opal, who was hugging Bolin tightly.

Bolin looked up at me. “What do we do now?  They’re just going to keep sending chi blockers here until they capture us.”

My hand raised to my chin, gently wrapping my fingers around it as I thought.  As I looked up, I saw in the distance two more airships on their way to the island.  _Not good.  We don’t have much time to figure out a plan._

Looking at Opal, I told her, “Go tell Korra about the incoming airships.  I have to run to my room.”

I didn’t bother sticking around for her answer.  I rushed quickly up to my room to where my schematics were.  I didn’t want to do this, but I couldn’t take them with me.  Lighting the large lantern that served as a reading light, I begun to tear up my schematics and feed them to the fire.  It was like tearing pieces out of my heart, all my hardwork burning up in mere seconds, but I couldn’t let Amon or my father get ahold of these designs.  They’re creation was to protect, not to hurt people.

A gentle knock broke me from my thoughts as I lit the last of the torn pieces in the fire.  I turned to see Korra standing by the door, her eyes on the latern as the paper burned. “What are you doing?” she asked, walking over to me.

I looked at the fire. “Making sure my father doesn’t take anything I’ve created and use it against us.”

Watching as the fire turned the paper to ash, I shook my head and blew the flame out.  Taking Korra’s hand, we began to make our way back to the courtyard. “What’s the plan?”

“Tenzin’s going to take Beifong and his family away on Oogi.  I guess that means we have to take the extra ferry to get out,” Korra replied, rolling her shoulders.  _She’s already put a lot of work in._

The thousands of different ideas that ran through my mind were only leading me towards one option.  Moving at a quicker pace, I made my way down to the garage to my Satomobile.  I grabbed my tools, sliding underneath and starting to replace all of the parts that were currently on the ground.  I was so busy reconstructing the internals that I failed to notice Opal and the boys make their way into the garage with Naga.

“What are you doing, Asami?” Opal asked.

I pulled myself out from underneath the car, standing up and reaching into the car for my keys.  My girl started up with a lovely pure.  I smiled as I looked at Opal. “Getting our getaway vehicle ready.”

Bolin looked at me confused. “Uh…Asami…This is a car.  How are we supposed to use it to cross the water?”

I looked at Korra. “Think you can make an ice bridge long enough for us to cross over to the docks?”

She smiled. “Too easy.”

I nodded, noticing an approaching White Lotus member.  I recognized him as the head guard, but his name failed to come back to me.  Everyone turned to look at him, his grim expression at what was about to happen.

“We will cover your escape, but you must leave now.  The airbenders and Chief Beifong have already departed,” he said, his eyes on Korra.

“You can’t just-“ she began to say, but he raised his hand up to silence her.

He breathed in deeply before releasing his breath with a smile. “It’s our duty as the White Lotus to protect you, Avatar Korra,” he said, bowing to her. “It’s been an honor.”

He left, joining the ground of White Lotus guards as they prepared for the incoming airships.  Though they knew they wouldn’t come back with their bending, they still chose to defend us as we escaped the island.  I sighed as I climbed into my car, Opal taking the passenger side, while Korra and the boys climbed into the back with Naga.  _The bravery that others have can be inspiring._

I quickly pulled out of the garage, making my way down the dirt path that wrapped around the back of the island.  We had gotten halfway down the path when I noticed movement on the cliff above us.  I couldn’t believe my eyes; it was Leu.  No one else had noticed him, and he was about to attack.  My mind thought of two thoughts simultaneously as he began to jump towards us:  Korra and the White Lotus guards.

“Opal, take the wheel!” I shouted.

She quickly grabbed the wheel as I climbed over her.  The others didn’t have time to react, their confusion overtaking their reactions.  Leu was falling straight for us, his batons lighting up with electricity.  One foot planted on the side of the car, I launched myself at him, colliding with him midair as the car drove out from underneath me.  We landed on the ground, Leu underneath me, as the car squealed to a halt.

“Asami!” I heard Korra shout.

Dodging a punch from Leu, I hit him hard in the jaw and turned to the car. “Get out of here!  You have to leave now!”

Mako and Bolin were both holding her back, tears running down her cheeks. “I’m not leaving you!” she shouted.

Struggling to keep Leu on the ground, I looked back at Korra. “Korra, you need to leave.  If Amon gets you, then the world is doomed.  Please!” I pleaded.

A short silent moment passed before Korra stopped struggling, allowing for Opal to drive the car away.  My heart clenched at the thought of being away from Korra again, but I couldn’t let Amon catch her.  A punch to the gut knocked the wind out of me, and Leu was able to push me off of him.  Coughing hard, I wasn’t able to block the kick that connected with my ribs.  Grabbing my side, I moved as quick as I could away from his second kick, but my movements were slow.  His batons in hand, he swung one at me, which I was able to dodge, but my slow reflects allowed for the second to connect with my back.  I fell to the ground, my hair covering my face, as my vision started to blur.  _At least she got away._ A small smile crept onto my face as I finally lost consciousness.

* * *

 

My eyes slowly opened, everything still a blur.  It was dark, that much I could tell, so I could only assume it was night.  My arms were stiff, chained above my head and high enough were I couldn’t sit down.  My throat was dry, and the headache pounding in the back of my head didn’t help things.  Slowly, I willed my legs to move so that I could stand properly and relieve the stress that was pulling on my shoulders.  I groaned as I tried to inhale; I was pretty sure I had at least a couple broken ribs. 

Looking around, I was surprised to see that I was at the arena where they had held the championship tournament, the same arena where Amon had made one of his attacks.  I recognized this room as one of the training rooms, boarded up and used for storage it looked like.  _I wonder how long I’ve been out._ I started to jiggle the chains; they were connected to a metal railing, so it wasn’t looking like I’d be able to pull them off.

A door opened on the other side of the room, and Amon entered with my father and Leu right behind him.  That mask he wore, the white stone-faced expression on it, sent shivers down my spine, but I wasn’t about to show my fear to them.  They walked over to me, Leu’s eyes narrowing the closer he got to me.  The hatred he felt towards me was quite obvious, and it was deeply shared.

“Asami Sato, so good of you to finally join us,” Amon said, his hands behind his back.

My eyes narrowed, my silence the only response he was going to get.  Stepping forward, he leaned forward slightly so that we were eye to eye.  His eyes were as blank and cold as the mask he wore.  To think that he cared about anyone was beyond me; those eyes of his were ones that belonged to a madman.  He leaned back and walked back over to my father and Leu, his attention on the former.

“You may say your piece, Hiroshi, but understand that her decision is her own for the time being,” he said, his back still facing me.

My father nodded, taking a step forward.  He looked tired, like he had lost some weight since the last time I had seen him.  Yet, my feelings didn’t change; here was a man that I had respected, looked up to, for most of my life, and he had betrayed me and my friends.  He had tried to hurt Korra.  All because he thought he was doing it in memory of my mother.  He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, not wanting to hear anymore excuses exit his mouth.

“I don’t want to hear it.  I’m not joining you, and if Mom could see you now, she’d tell you the same thing.  You don’t feel love for her anymore; you’re just full of hatred!” I spat at my father, smiling when his face turned red with anger.

**_Slap._ **

The backhand smacked hard across my face, and I knew that there would be a mark there for a couple hours. “I see now that there’s no chance to save you,” he said, storming out of the room.

Amon stayed for a few minutes to watch my father storm out before leaving the room as well.  Only Leu stayed, his attention focused on me.  We stood there, eye to eye, in a stare-down before his fist connected with my stomach, knocking the wind out of me.  I fell as far as my chains would allow me, coughing hard as my lungs tried to bring the oxygen back into my body.  Leu left right after, and I was left alone in the room once more.

It was several hours before anyone would return.  I was on the verge of letting exhaustion take over my mind and body when the doors swung open violently.  Two chi blockers were dragging a body inside, and to my horror, it was Chief Beifong.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed her chest moving up and down slowly, but it looked as if she had taken a beating.  They chained her up next to me and left without saying a word.

It wasn’t long after that she started to wake up, the daze look in her eyes as she tried to figure out where she was.  When she finally looked over in my direction, a look of dread came over her, the silent question ringing loudly in her mind.

I shook my head. “They got away.  I distracted baton boy long enough to allow them enough distance.”

Beifong sighed in relief before looking towards the ground. “I’m sorry, Asami, but it looks like we’re going to have to wait for reinforcements.  They…they took my bending away,” she said softly, a bitterness to her voice.

“I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, not wanting to talk about it any longer. “The good news is that Amon doesn’t have his hands on the airbenders or Korra.  That’s what’s important.”

I nodded, looking up towards one of the many windows high above us.  The sky was clear, the moon was out, and we were trapped.  I closed my eyes, my mind racing to thoughts of Korra.  Her smile, her laugh, the way she’d try her hardest to make sure that everyone around her would smile.  _Soon.  I’ll see her sooner than I think.  I just know it._

* * *

 

Two days passed.  We were fed once each day, water being given sparsely.  My shoulders begun to hurt when I hung too long, but I could only stand for so long.  By Beifong’s reactions, she was having the same trouble.  Most of the hours, we slept to gather our strength, waking up only to adjust our bodies.  There wasn’t much else we could do. 

By the conversations that I could hear from the passing guards, life on the outside wasn’t much better.  They had found my Satomobile deserted, no luck in locating my friends and Korra.  The White Lotus guards and any benders that were captured in the takeover were stripped of their bending, sent away to jails similar to the one where we had found the missing police officers.  They were aware of the United Republic Forces making their way to Republic City, and I could only pray that somehow, they would be enough to end this nightmare my father and Amon had created.

On the third day, I could hear the guards rush fast past the room we were being held in.  Excitedness rang through their voices as they shouted at one another.

“Did you hear?  We caught the airbenders!”

“Really?  That’s awesome!”

“Finally, we can show those benders who’s really in charge now!”

My heart sank.  _No.  After all that we did, he still ended up catching them._ I looked over at Beifong, her face dipped down as tears ran down her cheeks.  I struggled against my chains, but it was a useless effort.  I didn’t have the strength to break out of them; Amon had seen to it by starving us.  I hung from the chains, my own tears rushing down my cheeks at the thought of what was about to happen to the airbenders, what could happen to Korra if she was caught.  I close my eyes tightly as I willed my thoughts to reach her.

_Please Korra.  Please stay safe.  Please stay away._


	23. Fighter til the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami, Lin Beifong, and the airbenders have all been captured by Amon. All they can hope now is that Korra can get there in time to stop Amon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soccet here!
> 
> Sorry this is coming out later today than I usually do; school's around the corner, and a bunch of stuff has been thrown my way in the past couple days. On top of that, I just found out my brother's getting deployed next week, so I've just been a mess. At least I have writing and you guys to take my mind off things!
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13

_A spectacle.  They were going to take the airbenders’ airbending away and make a spectacle out of it._ Fresh tears ran down my cheeks at the thought.  _And there was nothing I could do to stop it._ My heart clenched.  Beside me, Beifong had the same look of helplessness on her face.  I started to struggle hard against my chains again, but it was no use.  I didn’t have the strength to break them, and with Beifong’s bending gone, she was in the same position as I was.  Hope began to fade from me when suddenly I hear footsteps running down the hall.

The doors to the room banged open, and there she was.  _Korra._ I stared wide-eyed at her, Mako joining her just seconds later.  They looked at us before rushing over to us.  I stood up slowly, Korra’s arms wrapping around me in a tight hug.  I leaned into her, trying my hardest to show how relieved I was to see her, when she placed her hands on my cheeks and kissed me softly.

She leaned back, tears in her eyes. “Never, ever, EVER do that again.”

I smiled softly.  Looking up at the chains, she began to firebend a controlled fire, cutting through the chains.  My arms dropping, I leaned against her, seeing Mako do the same for Beifong.  I looked back at Korra. “The airbenders?”

“They’re ok.  They’re on their way to get Pema and the baby right now,” she replied, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.

I nodded, a small smile on my face, when a sudden pain shot through my body.  _This…this feelings like bloodbending…but Arlin’s…he lost his bending to Amon…_ Footsteps rang as they walked into the room, and suddenly, Beifong and I were thrown against the wall to my left.  We both hit the wall hard, a gasp escaping my lips as we crashed to the floor.  _Damn it._ Slowly raising myself to my elbows, my eyes widen at the new arrival.

Amon had found us.  His bloodbending had us pinned to the ground, and Mako couldn’t move to help Korra as she was moved in front of Amon.  _No…please don’t…no…_ It only took a moment.  Korra fell to the ground, her eyes wide in horror.

“Korra!” I shouted as Leu walked inside with my father.

Frustration ran through my father’s face at the sight of me, his attention turning fully to Amon. “What is the meaning of this, Amon?” he shouted. “What have you done to my daughter?”

A quick hand raise, and my father was thrown against the wall, unconscious as he hit the ground.  Leu stood there watching the events unfold as he turned his attention to Amon, to Korra, and then to me.  Taking his mask off, I could finally see his face, the purple circles underneath his eyes.  He looked at me, his eyes full of sorrow, before turning his attention to Amon.  He dropped his mask onto the floor.

“I didn’t want to believe it, Amon.  What Korra said about you being a bender.  I thought she was lying, just as she had about loving me,” he said, raising his head to Amon. “I gave you everything, and you continued to lie to me.”

**_Crack._** Leu brought his foot down hard, crushing the goggles in his mask, his anger running through his body.  Pulling out his batons, they began to crackle as the electricity ran through them. “I gave you everything!” he shouted as he began to rush Amon.

He never swung once.  Amon raised his hand, bloodbending Leu into the air.  I watched in horror as his limbs were contorted in different angles, the pain that ran through his face.  To see how unwavered Amon was, how ruthless he was, was sickening.

“I don’t think I’ll be needing your services anymore, Leu,” Amon said as he threw Leu to the opposite wall.

I watched as he hit the wall, falling into the boxes and boards below him, the crunching of the boards as they broke under his weight and toppled onto him echoing throughout the room.  I clenched my fists, tears rolling down my cheeks as I looked at Amon.  He raised Mako up to face him, and fear ran through my body yet again.

Mako had a different plan, though.  Fighting against Amon’s bloodbending, Mako was able to discharge lightning from his fingertips, electrocuting Amon.  I watched as Amon’s body lit up in a blue light from the lightning before he was launched back near the door to the room.  The bloodbending stopped, allowing me to regain control of my own body, and I rushed over to Korra.  Helping to her feet as Mako knocked boards and boxes onto Amon to stall him, I moved as quickly as I could with her leaning on me.  Mako quickly grabbed Beifong, and we rushed out of the room.

“Asami…my bending…” I heard Korra whisper, a defeated tone present.

“We’ll get you some help-“ I started to tell her when the pain returned.

Mako and I were both forced to stop, Beifong and Korra flying from our arms and landing on the ground.  I was tossed up against the wall, landing hard on the ground.  Groaning, I slowly started to sit up on my elbows, seeing as Amon pulled Mako closer to him.

“Such a talented bender.  Such a waste,” Amon said as he moved to take Mako’s bending away.

I clenched my fists, reaching into my boot for my hidden knife, the one the guards had failed to find.  _Not this time._ Amon wasn’t expecting me to charge at him with the knife.  The momentary confusion allowed for Mako to duck, and I was able to get a clean hit in on his shoulder.  The pain returned through my body, and I was thrown hard against the wall.  Pulling the knife out quickly, Amon turned his attention fully on me.

“You stupid little girl,” he said as he approached me.

I spat at him. “I won’t let you take anymore bending away, Amon, you sick bastard.”

His eyes narrowed at me, and a moment passed before his arm swung back then forward.  I gasp as the metal of my knife dug deep into my side, the pain almost equaling that of bloodbending.  Mako’s eyes widened in horror as Amon released his bloodbending hold on me, allowing for my body to fall to my knees.

“No!” I heard Korra shout before a blast of air rocketed past me, hitting Amon and knocking him back.

I looked over at Korra, and she was just as surprised as we were.  _She can airbend._ Confidence returning to her, she started to unleash attack after attack at Amon, knocking him farther and farther.  He rose his hand, momentarily stopping her with bloodbending, but she was able to break his hold long enough to send one final attack at him, knocking him out the window.  I watched as Korra and Mako went over to the window to see where Amon had landed, while Beifong moved over to me.

She looked at the knife then at me, an apologetic look on her face.  I nodded, understanding what was about to happen.  She gripped the handle, quickly pulling the knife out.  I cried out at the pain.  _Shit!  Fuck!  Spirits, that hurt a hell of a lot worse than I thought it would._ Beifong quickly pressed a cloth she had torn from her shirt against the wound, but it was already starting to bleed through.  Korra soon appeared beside me, her eyes moving from the wound to my eyes.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” she asked, her hand on my cheek.

I smiled weakly.  Taking off the chi blocker jacket she was wearing, she moved Beifong’s hands away and pressed it up against the wound.  Footsteps echoed through the hallway as others joined us.  I looked up to see Tenzin running towards us with Pema and the children close behind him.  Mako quickly ran over to stop them, keeping the children away from the scene.  Tenzin moved past him and came over to us, his eyes on the blood.

He looked up at Korra. “We have to get her to the hospital, Korra.  Now.”

She nodded, watching as he slowly lifted me into his arms.  Slowly, I rose my hands and put pressure back on the jacket as Tenzin started to carry me down the hallway.  Everything was starting to spin, which I contributed to the blood loss.  I could see Korra walking on Tenzin’s side, her eyes full of worry.  I gave her the best reassuring smile I could, my eyes starting to close.  _It’s alright, Korra.  I’m fine._ That’s what I wanted to tell her; I wanted to tell her everything was going to be ok, but my eyes closed fully.  The last thing I heard was Korra calling my name before everything went dark, and silence enveloped me.

* * *

 

I remember it being white.  Nothing really around me.  I was alone.  I couldn’t remember how I got there.  Remembering what happened, my hands instinctively went to my side, but I was surprised not to find the wound.  _What the hell?_ I looked around, confused because there was nothing around me.  Just…blank space.  _Where was I?_

“You’re in an inbetween state,” a voice said, behind me.

I turned to find myself staring at an older gentleman and a young woman.  I tilted my head to the side slightly, confused as to who they were.  I couldn’t place my finger on it, but they felt…familiar.  Both shared smiles at me as they watched me.

After a moment, I finally found my voice. “Where am I?  And who are you?”

“It’s not your time to cross over, Asami, so you are in a state of inbetween.  As for us, well you already know who we are,” the young woman answered, a smile still on her face.  _Something just…seems so familiar._

A moment passed before the woman sighed, looking at the gentleman.  He nodded before they both looked at me. “It is time for you to return, Asami,” the man said as they both started to fade.

“Wait!” I shouted, reaching out to them. “You never answered my question!”

The woman smiled sadly yet warmly. “You already know us, Asami.  And don’t fret; you’ll see us again one day.  You and Korra will together.”

My eyes widened at Korra’s name.  _How did they know Korra?  How did they know me?_ So many questions ran through my mind, but I never got a chance to ask them.  They disappeared, and my vision went black.

* * *

 

My eyes slowly began to open, the bright lights of the rooms causing my eyes to narrow so to focus.  _Where was I?  And why was I in so much pain?_ I slowly started to look around.  _I’m in…a hospital?  But why?_ Slowly my eyes started to drift towards where the pain was emanating on my body, and I saw a large bandage wrapped around my stomach.  A moment later, the memory of being stabbed by my own knife rushed to my brain, causing me to gasp in a breath.  _I was hurt.  I was bleeding.  Korra was…_ I looked around, not seeing here anywhere near me.  _Where was Korra?_

I could hear the heartbeat monitor start to flare up as my heart started to pick up a fast pace.  _Korra’s not here.  Korra wasn’t here.  Where was she?  Where was she!_ My fists started to clench, and I started to sit up slowly, ignoring the pain that went from dull to sharp and stabby as it focused in on my side.  _I had to find her.  I had to find Korra.  She has to be alright._ Two nurses walked into the room and came over to me, trying to calm me down.  _I can’t calm down.  I have to find her!  I have to-_

She walked into the room, a bowl of food in her hands and worry written all over her face as to why I was upset.  I stopped struggling against the nurses the moment my eyes landed on her.  _She’s ok.  She’s safe._ Seeing that Korra was the reason why I calmed down, they quickly checked my bandage and vitals before exiting the room.  Korra watched them leave, closing the door behind them, before taking a seat next to me.  My eyes never left her.

She smiled as she set the bowl of food, noodles of course, down on the stand beside my bed. “Hey.  How are you feeling?”

A moment passed before I realized I hadn’t replied. “Good,” I said, but my voice was soft and scratchy.

Smiling softly, Korra stood and went over to the sink to get me a glass of water.  It didn’t take me long to down it nor for her to bring over another.  I downed the second, looking down at the empty glass in my hands and thinking back to the two people I had seen in my dreams, or at least what I thought was my dreams.

“How long was I out?” I asked.

“About a day,” she answered, leaning forward to take my hand in hers.

“And Amon?”

She shook her head. “We haven’t found him yet.  Arlin’s missing as well; Mako and I had found him being held in the Air Temple Island’s tower, but he wasn’t there when Beifong sent officers to get him.  He was Amon’s brother.”

I sighed.  _Both of them were gone.  Spirits, I hope they stay gone for good this time._ “What about Leu and my father?”

“Your father’s ok.  In jail, but ok.  Leu…well he’s…” Korra started to say, but it only confirmed my thoughts.

Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I pulled her close, ignoring the pain as it radiated in my side. “I’m sorry, Korra.”

She shook her head. “Don’t be.  I shouldn’t be this upset about it, but how he died was just…”

“It’s ok, Korra.  I understand,” I said as I squeezed her shoulders.

She took in a deep breath and released it slowly, leaning back slightly before wrapping her hand gently around the back of my neck and pulling my head close to kiss me.  Smiling, I kissed her back.  When we both leaned back, we were both smiling.  _Spirits, that smile always makes me feel so warm.  So welcomed._ She gently pushed the strands of hair off my cheek, tucking them behind my ear, before a frown made its appearance.

“What is it?” I asked, taking her hand in mine.

She looked down at our hands. “I still can’t bend any of the other elements,” she said before looking up at me. “Tenzin wants me to go see Katara, but I wanted to wait until you were released so you could come with us.”

Placing my free hand on her cheek, I looked her in her eyes. “Korra, you don’t need to wait for me to see Katara.”

She squeezed my hand. “I want you there with me, Asami, in case…” Her voice trailed off as she stared down at our hands.

Gently lifting her head, I kissed her softly.  She returned the kiss, a small smile playing on her lips.  She knew I understood her fears, and she knew I wasn’t about to let her face them alone.  I leaned into her, her arm wrapping around my shoulders to keep me close.  After the past few days, I finally felt relaxed, and all it took was to be right here next to Korra.  It didn’t matter that she lost her bending; it didn’t matter that I had survived a near-death experience.  Everything was better whenever we were together.  Everything would be better when we were together.  And that’s just how I liked it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'm doing alright! Korra ripped Soccet a new one, but we'll be fine and ok! Only two more chapters left :(  
> Asami <3


	24. I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amon has been defeated, but Korra has lost her bending. Is there any hope for the return of her abilities?

A couple days later, after much fighting with my doctors, I was released from the hospital.  During that time, Korra only left to speak with the Council about the reconstruction of Republic City and to change clothes after taking a shower.  After my failed relationship with Mako and my father’s betrayal, to have someone like Korra devote most of their time to being there for me left a weird feeling in my chest, but I enjoyed the feeling.

The nurses rolled me out of the hospital in a wheelchair, which was unnecessary seeing as I could walk perfectly fine on my own.  As soon as we exited the hospital, I quickly jumped to my feet, not being able to stand another second in that wheelchair.  A slight pain rushed to my side, but I ignored it.  Parked in the turnabout was my Satomobile with Opal behind the wheel.  I slid into the front seat, pulling her tightly into a hug, which she returned just as tight.

“I missed you,” I told her, leaning back to smile at her.

She returned the smile. “I missed you, too.”

Korra slid into the back, where a patient Naga was waiting for her.  She greeted her owner with a bark and a slobbery lick on the cheek.  Korra laughed, rubbing the top of Naga’s head, and I couldn’t help but smile wider.  Smiling at Korra through the rearview mirror, Opal put the car into drive and began the trip back to the awaiting Air Temple Island ferry.

On the drive over, I was able to see how far they had gotten with the reconstructions.  Several buildings had taken hits thanks to the Equalist bombs.  Many of the soldiers that had arrived with General Iroh of the United Republic Forces were part of the relief effort for those who were displaced.  We could see several of them helping with repairs as we drove through the city.  The harbor was still a mess due to the crashed airships and sunken ships.  It took the ferry longer to navigate, but we were able to get to the island relatively quickly.

A large ship was waiting for us when the ferry arrived at the dock of the island.  There were several bags waiting to be loaded, causing me to look at Korra with a questioning look.  _Just how many people were coming with us?_ As if to answer my question, Tenzin and his family, the boys, Chief Beifong, and Korra’s parents, Tonraq and Senna, made their way down the steps towards the ship.  Seeing us standing by the bags, Mako and Bolin, the hugest smiles on their faces, ran full force at us.  Nearly tackling us to the ground with their hugs, we all began to laugh.

“Careful, careful.  I’m still a bit sore,” I told Bolin as he wrapped his arms around me.

He still hugged me tightly, only causing me to flinch slightly.  After he released me, Mako gave me a gentler hug. “Welcome back,” he said.

Boarding soon followed after bags were placed onto the ship, and we were on our way to the South Pole and the Southern Water Tribe.  It was a long trip, one that allowed for a lot of talking.  Nice talking, such as discussing with Senna about what my college plans were after graduation, and awkward talking, such as having the Talk with Tonraq.  It was weird for both of us, seeing as he was prepared to give it to a boy instead of me, so it took him a bit to adjust to the new relationship his daughter was in.  Frankly, I was just as confused and awkward with it because I wasn’t prepared to have such a conversation directed at me.

We arrived at the Southern Water Tribe late that evening.  We were welcomed warmly, though it was slightly warmer than I imagined it would be.  _Of course, it is getting colder back in Republic City, so it kind of makes sense._ After all of the bags were unloaded, we were transported to the Compound, the place where Korra had spent most of her life after she was discovered to be the next Avatar.  As we drove up to it, Oogi flying over us towards the Compound, I was amazed at how large it was.  White Lotus guards were stationed at every tower, and on the inside it was like a gigantic training ground.

We were dropped off in front of one of the closer huts, an older woman standing at the top of the steps with a smile on her face.  By the way that the airbending children towards her, it had to be Katara.  A smile on her face, she hugged each of her grandchildren and walked towards Pema so as to great her newest grandchild.  After pleasantries were exchanged, Katara turned towards Korra, whose expression and mood dropped.  I held her hand as we followed Katara into the healing hut, the large back room with a small bath in the back catching my eye.

Katara motioned towards the bath, and I could feel Korra tense up beside me.  I looked at her, the scared expression on her face clenching my heart.  I leaned towards her, kissing her cheek. “I’ll be waiting for you right here.  Everything’s going to be ok,” I told her, a small smile on my lips.

She looked at me, her eyes locked on mine.  A small nod and a small smile followed for a minute before she followed Katara into the backroom.  Everyone had since moved into the small hut, and we took our seats, knowing a long wait was coming.  Sure enough, it was three hours before the door to the backroom slid open.  Katara stepped out, a look of disappointment on her face, and I could see Korra sitting on the floor, her knees pulled to her chest, for a moment before the door was closed.

Letting out a small breath, Katara looked at those who had gathered in the room. “I have tried everything in my power, but I can’t restore her bending.  She can still airbend, but the connection to the other elements has been severed.”

Chief Beifong stepped forward. “But you’re the best healer in the world; you have to keep trying,” she pleaded, the desperation in her voice strong.

Katara looked at her sorrowfully, her hand reaching up to rest on Beifong’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing else I could do.” Beifong’s shoulders dropped, her gaze dropping to the floor.

The door to the backroom opened, and Korra emerged.  Her gaze was to the ground as she closed the door behind her and taking a couple steps before pausing to look at us.  I clasped my hands above my heart at she looked at us.

“It’s going to be alright, Korra,” Tenzin spoke, a hint of optimism in his voice.

“No,” Korra replied, looking away from Tenzin. “It’s not.”  My heart broke at how defeated she sounded.

We watched as she walked out of the hut, and I could see how hard it was for her to hold back the tears.  She slipped her jacket back on, walking out to the snowmobile she had ridden in on.  Naga sat beside it, watching her owner and wagging her tail slowly.  She gently rubbed Naga’s head, but there was no warmth, no smile when she did.  I left the hut, jogging slowly out to her as she grabbed her helmet.

“Korra, wait!” I said, picking up my speed a little.

She stopped at the sound of my voice, her eyes still on her helmet.  I slowed my pace to a walk, stopping to where I was standing beside her and the snowmobile.  She didn’t look up at me, only continued to staring at her helmet, when she finally spoke up. “Go away,” she said softy.

I looked at her for a moment, knowing that she wanted some space. “I will, but Korra…I want you to know that I’m here for you.  That everyone is here for you.”

Angrily slamming her helmet down on the seat of the snowmobile, Korra turned to me, trying her hardest not to cry. “No.  I mean go back to Republic City, and move on.  Forget about me.”

I looked at her confused. “Korra, what are you talking about?”

She looked away bitterly. “I’m not the Avatar anymore, Asami.  You don’t need to-“

“I don’t care if you’re the Avatar or not, Korra.  That’s not the reason why I fell in love with you!” I shouted.  She looked at me with surprise as my hands found her cheeks. “I love how you laugh, how you put others before yourself.  How you look at me and make me feel like I’m on top of the world.  I knew…I knew deep down that I loved you even before I wanted to admit it to myself.”

She looked me, tears threatening to spill over, before she pulled away and jumped onto her snowmobile. “I’m sorry, but I…I just can’t,” she said as Naga jumped on beside her.  She pulled back on the throttle and rocketed out of the Compound, leaving me behind holding my hand out to her as if to hold her back with me.

My hand dropped as I watched her get farther and farther away.  When she was out of sight, I realized the tears that were running down my cheeks.  A hand rested on my shoulder, and I turned to find Tenzin had joined me outside.  He smiled gently, looking out towards the direction that Korra had gone.

“We just have to be patient with her,” he said softly before turning to head back inside.

I stood outside for a few minutes before turning to head back inside when my eyes focused in on the second snowmobile parked by the hut.  Tonraq had driven it out with Korra while Senna had ridden with us in the cars, and the keys were still the ignition.  Looking up at the hut, I ran over to the snowmobile.  Luckily, Korra had given me my goggles before the ride out with the intention of driving us out to one of her favorite places after she was supposed to get her bending back.  I slid my goggles on over my eyes and started the snowmobile.  The noise drew the attention of everyone in the hut, but I had already driven off by the time they had exited the hut.

It wasn’t hard to follow the tracks left behind by Korra’s snowmobile.  The drive itself was a bit long, and I could see that we were getting closer to the edge of the continent.  Looking around, I found Naga’s familiar silhouette, and I could see Korra farther off in the distance.  She sat with her knees up to her chest, not hearing as I approached.  Slowly the snowmobile down, I parked next to the one she had ridden out on and turned it off.  It was then that I noticed we weren’t the only ones out here.

A tall man, dressed in similar clothes to those that Tenzin and the other Air Nomads wore, appeared close to Korra.  He looked over at my direction and I swore he could have been Tenzin before the airbending children were born.  Sensing my surprise, the man rose his finger to his lips as if to tell me not to spoil the surprise.  I watched as he walked over to where Korra was sitting.

“Not now, Tenzin.  I just want to be alone,” I heard her say, her head not turning towards the new arrival.

It was then that I heard his voice. “But you called me.”  _Definitely not Tenzin._

Korra spun around fast, her eyes lighting up in surprise and awe. “Aang.”

My eyes widened as she stood up and continued to speak with him.  _Aang?  But…but he died.  That’s…that’s why Korra was here…she was his reincarnation.  How can he…?_ The light began to peek through the clouds, as if shining down on Aang and Korra as they spoke.  My mind, too confused as to how Aang could be here in front of us, wasn’t registering the words to their conversation.  He smiled as he raised his hands, placing one on her shoulder and the other on the side of her head with his thumb resting on her forehead.  They began to glow a silver aura around them as Korra closed her eyes with a small smile on her mouth.  Then, as quick as it began, it ended, and Aang disappeared.

When Korra opened her eyes, it was like a whole new person emerged.  Her eyes glowing white, she began to lift in the air with an airbending tunnel beneath her.  Wind blew out in a circle around her, followed by fire, then earth.  The sea below the cliff in front of her rose with such force that it shook the surrounding earth.  I couldn’t believe it; Korra had her bending back!  She slowly lowered back to the ground as I began to walk towards her in amazement.  _So this was the power of the Avatar._

As if sensing my walk, she began to turn, her eyes back to that wonderful blue that I loved.  I smiled softly at her, the pride swelling in my chest at what this meant.  She ran over to me, knocking me to the ground as she launched herself into my arms.  I laughed as we landed back into the snow, her lips capturing mine to silence my laughter.

“I love you too,” she said as she leaned back, a smile wide on her face.

I smiled back.  _Spirits did I love her._ “I know.”

We quickly made our way back to the Compound, Korra’s energy renewed with excitement.  She knew how to bring back a bender’s energy, energybending as she called it, and she was eager to bring Chief Beifong’s back to show that she could.  To see her this happy, to smile as wide as she was, was a long time coming.  Even I couldn’t help but smile with her as we pulled into the Compound.

Quickly getting everyone out to the Southern Water Tribe temples, where several large rocks surrounded them, we watched as Korra restored Chief Beifong’s bending.  After exiting Korra exited the Avatar State, which I was told her eyes went silver because of, Beifong rose to her feet, earthbending the surrounding rocks into the air.  Setting them back down, she thanked Korra for the miracle, and I couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride in my heart for Korra. 

_Look out world.  The Avatar is here to stay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soccet here,  
> Only one more chapter! If you guys start to miss me, follow me on tumblr! So much Korrasami stuff gets reblogged there, it shows how much of an addict I am about these two. libs1317.tumblr.com  
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13
> 
> *stares dreamily at Korra, sees you notice, blushes* shut up...  
> Asami <3


	25. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Equalist movement is over, and Korra has her bending back. Find out what the Krew's been up to since!

“How about this dress?  Or this one?  Maybe this one?” I held up a dark green dress, then a red one, then an orange red one.  Each one I held in front of me as I looked at myself in the mirror.

Korra was sitting on my bed, resting back on her elbows as she watched me hold each dress up in front of me. “I like the red one.”

I held the red one back up. “You think so?”

Korra nodded.  I put the green and orange red dresses back in my closet and begun to put the red dress on.  It was graduation day, two months after the Battle for Republic City.  Life had begun to find its way back to normal, but the sense of normal now was very different than before.  The United Republic Council had been disbanded, and we were close to electing the United Republic of Nations’ first president.  The two running were Terrance Raiko and Chiko Shu, though it was sounding as if Raiko was going to be elected into office.  And that was just in two months.

As for the rest of us, we were just happy the school year was finally ending.  Mako and I were set to graduate with Kuvira and Opal’s oldest brother, Baatar Jr.  Baatar and I were on track to starting our first semester at Republic City University in four months, he in an engineering track while I was going to double major in engineering and business.  After my father’s arrest, I was placed in charge of Future Industries, though we were quickly losing investors due to my father’s involvement in the Equalist movement.  Kuvira decided to return to Zafou to work as head of security under Suyin.  Lin, who was reinstated as Chief of Poilce shortly after our return to Republic City, offered Mako a job as one of her officers, which he happily took.  Bolin and Opal were going on strong and were excited for the summer to come around the corner.  Korra was busy with Avatar duties, but it didn’t stop her from taking advantage of every opportunity she got to surprise me.

Flash to the present, and here she was waiting for me to get ready to head to the high school.  Dressed in a more casual-formal Water Tribe dress, which she wore just for graduation, she sat back and watched as I continued to get ready.  Putting on a little bit of makeup, my mind was everywhere with the mental checklist when I felt her hands on my shoulders, gently starting to massage them.  I set my makeup down, closing my eyes and focusing on her fingers.

“You’re way too stiff for graduation, ‘Sami.  Take a breather; it’s only a walk down the aisle to get your degree and a toss of your hat.  Then you’re done,” she said, leaning down to kiss my cheek.

I sighed, leaning my head back to look at her.  Her hair was pulled back into a bun, a few strands escaping and falling in front of her face.  I smiled up at her, giggling when she leaned down to kiss me softly.  _Every day I fall more and more in love with her._ She smiled at my giggling, leaning back to grab our things and my keys.  I stood up, finishing up my makeup quickly, and took her hand as we made our way out of my room and down to the front of the house.

I had moved back into my house about a month before.  Lin made sure to go through the entire property with her metalbender police to ensure that Amon and Arlin weren’t still on the premises, but they weren’t to be found.  For the first couple nights after the Battle of Republic City, I’d have nightmares of them returning to finish the job, but I’d always wake up with Korra beside me, holding me tight.  I always fell asleep afterwards with a smile on my face because I knew when I woke up she’d still be there, safe and sound.

My Satomobile was waiting for us out front.  Giving Korra a quick kiss, I made my way over to the driver’s side.  Starting the car, Korra kissed my cheek and took my hand.  I smiled, pulling out of the turnabout and drove to the high school.  It was a clear day out, but it wasn’t too warm.  _It would be a perfect day after graduation to go out to the cliff for a little while.  Maybe a picnic._ I smiled at the thought, the school coming into view.

Pulling into the parking lot, which had already started to get crowded, I quickly parked into the first open spot I saw.  I got out and walked over to Korra, taking her hand as we started to walk towards the school.  I saw Mako standing by the door, but Bolin was nowhere to be found.  After a quick search, I found him standing with Opal and her family.  Suyin was standing with her husband, Baatar Sr., as they spoke with Bataar Jr. and Kuvira; Huan was leaning against a tree, an obvious look of boredom and dread on his face at having to be here dressed nicely; and the twins, Wei and Wing, were busy trying to flirt shamelessly with every girl they could get to take a minute to look at them on their way to the high school.

Seeing us walking over to him, Mako smiled, pushing off the ledge he was sitting on.  He was dressed in the formal clothes I had bought him for our first date.  I couldn’t help but smile.  _He’ll make someone happy someday._ He returned the smile before motioning towards the door.

“Ready for this?” he asked as we began to climb the stairs. 

I shook my head. “Not really.”

“Oh, come on, ‘Sami.  You’re telling me you’d go back up against Amon instead of graduate high school?” Korra asked.

“Yes, yes I would.” Korra and Mako started to laugh, and all I could do was roll my eyes and smile at them.

The graduation ceremony went without a hitch.  We lined up and walked out to our seats, listened to the band and choirs sing their parts, _which in itself was amazing to hear_ , listened as the principal and the class president got up and spoke their parts.  Then it was time for the top five to give their speeches.  I watched as the fifth, fourth, third, and Kuvira, who was second, stand up and give their speeches.  I listened intently, watching as others in the crowd smiled and nodded their heads in agreement.  Then it was my turn.

I was surprised when I was told that I would get the honors of speaking last as the valedictorian of the graduating class.  After what had happened, I was sure that I had fallen behind too far to even be considered to be in the top five, but here I was, standing up and heading to the podium.  As I took my place behind the podium, I looked up at the flat screen that was showing the video that was being recorded from behind the seated graduating class.  There I was, on the screen, my cap slightly tilted on my head.  I smiled gently, the video me doing the same.  To see me here, a very different me than the beginning of the year, hit home hard.

“At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t who I am now,” I began to speak, my eyes on the graduating class as their attention began to focus on me. “At the beginning of the year, I was Asami Sato, daughter of Hiroshi Sato and heiress to Future Industries, one of the largest companies in the United Republic.  My mind was that of any other high schooler:  school, boys, and my future.  Now?  Now I stand here with you, ready to graduate, but I stand as a different person.”  My eyes left my class, searching for those loving blue eyes.  They seemed to lock onto her in an instant. “I met the Avatar on my first day, and I never knew my future would end up where it was now.”

Looking down at my cards, at the script I had written for this moment, then dropped them onto the stand.  I looked back up, a smile on my face. “Everything that was there before fell through the floor.  I found out my father was part of an evil movement, contributing to events that I couldn’t hardly believe he was involved in; my grades had begun to slip because I would stay up late at night to help those in need; and my future became a question mark after I was arrested by Tarrlok Arlin and his task force.  But you know what?  I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

I looked at Mako, Kuvira, Opal, Bolin, and finally Korra. “Because I had friends that were behind me.  Friends that wouldn’t leave my side.  Friends that were there to help pick me up when I’d fall.  Friends whose back I had just as they had mine.  And I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.  So I leave you with this piece of advice:  when you find those special someone’s in your life,” I said, my eyes floating back to Korra, a proud smile on my face. “Never, ever let them go.”

A silent pause enveloped before the graduating class broke out into applause.  I returned to my seat next to Kuvira, who gave me a nod in approval.  I smiled, watching as the principal took his place back the podium.  The rest of the ceremony went on as planned; we listened some more, walked up to get our diplomas, and threw our caps into the air.  When Kuvira and I had found our caps, we met up with Baatar Jr. and Mako to find our friends and families, who proceeded to pull us outside for pictures.  Several were taken:  Opal and I; Opal, Bolin, Mako, Korra, and I; Korra and I; Mako, Bolin, and I; Opal and Korra; Mako, Bolin, and Korra; Opal, Bolin, and her siblings; Opal and her parents; Korra and her parents; and then one of Korra, her parents, and I.

As I watched everyone start to talk about their summer plans, Korra snuck up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist and leaning up to kiss my cheek. “That was a great speech, ‘Sami.”

I smiled, turning in her arms and wrapping my arms around her shoulders, planting a kiss gently on her lips. “Thanks.  Helps when the girl of my dreams is in the crowd with a giant smile on her face.”

A blush ran across Korra’s face, and I chuckled, kissing her for a second time.  It had been a long time coming, but I finally felt at peace.  My friends were here; people who cared about me and how I felt were here.  And most importantly, Korra was here.  I couldn’t be any happier than when I was with her.  I had finally found where I belonged, and there wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to let anything take this away from me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, we're at the end of Senior Year. Thank you so much for sticking with us and enjoying the story! We've reached nearly 10,000 hits in around 2 1/2 months, even when I was away for a month and couldn't upload anything. Never would I have thought that when I first uploaded this fic that it'd become as popular as it had.
> 
> As for the continuation of this fic, I'm proud to announce that Senior Year's sequel, First Love, will have its first chapter uploaded September 1st!. Make sure to follow me at libs1317.tumblr.com for any updates and for all things Korrasami that I'll reblog. Because honestly, who doesn't enjoy the creative works that appear on tumblr?
> 
> As always, enjoy!  
> -Soccet13
> 
> P.S. I love you all! I'll see you soon!  
> Asami <3


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